A gift of Christmas presence

Here's a Christmas mindfulness exercise - perfect for the season. Allowing yourself a mindful break is a good way to take some time out, relieve stress, and soothe your mind and body, enabling you to better manage the holiday season. This is a classic mindfulness exercise with a twist. Engage all your senses and indulge in a moment of mindfulness with your favourite festive drink.

• You will need
• 5-10 minutes
• A quiet corner
• Hot chocolate, mulled anything or other festive favourite!

Optional extras: Cosy blanket and a scented candle for a dose of winter hygge

At this time of year, add a festive twist to your mindfulness meditation with this simple mindfulness exercise. This is an easy and enjoyable way to step off the festive treadmill of planning, doing, scheduling, baking, making, buying, wrapping... and take a bit of balance with you back into your life during a busy time of year and just 'be' for a few minutes... During this mindfulness exercise you will use all your senses to home in on your hot chocolate (or other festive treat).

1. Begin by sitting with your drink, preferably somewhere where you won't be disturbed, bringing your attention to your breathing, and allow yourself the luxury of paying attention to your breath for a few moments. Now bring your focus to the smell of your drink. What do you notice? Take your time to see what you can discover.

2. Feel the weight of the cup in your hand. Notice the temperature of the glass, or the texture of the cup of glass. Of course, if at any time, you start to notice your mind wandering off to other things you need to do, you can thank it kindly, and return your focus back to our mindful meditation. 

3. Use your eyes to appreciate the look of the drink (and the cup/glass)... Is there any steam you can follow? You could trace the shape of your cup? Notice any patterns on the top of the drink? Any movement? How's the colour? What else can you see, now you notice it?

4. When you've taken a couple of minutes, you're free to take your first sip. As you do, see what you really notice about the flavour and texture of your drink? Take your time, slow down and savour the sensations, keeping your focus on this moment. There’s nothing else to do right now but take this time for yourself.

5. Take your time and make a note of anything that surprised you during this exercise, and how this might help you through the Christmas season.

6. Smile and return to your festive duties, bringing some of the calm and warmth with you into the rest of your day!

Alternatives: Mulled wine, mulled apple juice, or even a mince pie! This mindfulness meditation can be easily adapted to your favourite festive treat. 

Wishing you peace at all times...

Mindfulness of chocolate

Are you one of those people who tends to scoff a bar of chocolate and then wonder where it's gone? Or do you savour each piece, making it last, feeling satisfied and content, getting the most from every moment? If you're the latter, then congratulations, you're well on the way to mindful awareness.

If not, here's a taster of mindfulness you can try at home, or at your desk, any time you choose. This is one of my favourite exercises when I am introducing clients to the benefits of Mindfulness, because it's simple and begins the practice of focus and present moment awareness. During the exercise, just try as best as you can, to keep your focus on the chocolate... Here's how to experience a mindful moment and discover the benefits of being present.

You will need: Your choice of square of chocolate, chocolate button, Minstrel or Smartie (just one, yes!) If you don't like chocolate, simple, try substituting the chocolate with a small piece of dried fruit, or other small treat. 

Spend about 20-30 seconds on each step...

1. Unwrap the wrapper, listening to the sound of the paper and slowly remove your piece of chocolate.

2. Take the chocolate in your hand and use your eyes to take in every detail of that chocolate - shape, texture, colour, any patterns. What do you see? And use sense of touch to take in the weight, the temperature and the texture. What do you find?

3. Now move the chocolate to your nose and breathe in the scent of the chocolate. What are its qualities? How do you sense the smell of the chocolate?

4. Take the chocolate to your ear and, this might seem strange, but tap the chocolate and see what noise it makes... Again, what do you notice?

5. Bring the chocolate to your lips and rest it there for a moment. What do you notice happening? What do you want to do? Do you notice any thoughts?

6. Place the chocolate in your mouth and just rest it there. What happens now? Resist the urge to chew! 

7. After a short while, you can now bite into the chocolate. What do you notice? Flavour, taste, relief that you can now eat the chocolate?

8. Savour the chocolate for as long as you like and reflect on what you noticed during this exercise.

Many people say they didn't realise how much they miss when they ordinarily munch through their chocolate. If we can pay this much attention to a single piece of chocolate, think about how the magic of this mindfulness practice widens out into how much we miss in everyday life when we act on autopilot and tuck in to life, without really paying attention to what is going on around us and inside of us. Who knew there was so much to a piece of chocolate?

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