Mindfulness Exercises

Mindfulness, as demonstrated by research by The Center for Healthy Minds and researchers/clinicians like Jon Kabat-Zinn, has been demonstrated to reduce many physiological measures of stress, including:

  • blood pressure

  • cortisol levels

  • heart rate

  • skin conductivity (aka sweatiness)

  • and more!

We will be posting activities, apps, guided meditations, and more resources.
Have others that you like that aren’t listed here? Send them our way!

APPS

Five Free Mindful Apps

AUDIO

Free Brief Guided Mindfulness Exercises

More Free Guided Mindfulness Exercises

Tara Brach’s Guided Mindfulness

UCLA’s Guided Mindfulness (English and Spanish versions)

VIDEO

Loving Kindness Meditation

Tonglen Meditation for Pain

Body Scan for Sleep

 

Meditation vs. Mindfulness

What is the difference, and why does it matter?

Many traditions and cultures have various types of formal meditation practices, from sitting meditation to centering prayer. It is important to recognize when you are engaging in meditation practices that originated as part of a cultural practice. While you may benefit from the meditation even without being embedded in the historical practice, knowing the history and lineage can inform your decision about how and when it feels appropriate and reciprocal to use the practice.

Mindfulness is the practice of bringing attention and awareness to what you are doing and experiencing. Mindfulness can be added to things as mundane as breathing, eating, communicating, and cleaning dishes. Many people who feel like they are terrible at meditation, find comfort in realizing that they inherently know how to be mindful in certain areas of their lives, like art, cooking, riding horses, gardening, or martial arts.