The Ten Mindful Movements

The Ten Mindful Movements are a wonderful way to calm down when you feel too stressed to sit and meditate. The meditative movements give an overactive mind something to focus on and help to induce a sense of peacefulness. If you are self-isolating at home they are a gentle way of getting some exercise and meditating at the same time. Other members of your household and children might enjoy joining in too. If coronavirus restrictions in your country still allow you to go outside, they are lovely to do in the open air. Another bonus is that you don't need a yoga mat, so they can be done anywhere. They take about 10 minutes to do. 

Here in the UK we are still allowed to leave our homes once a day to exercise (brisk walking enjoying nature for me). I'm also intending each day to practice the Ten Mindful Movements as I find them wonderfully calming, grounding, and centring. Perfect for bringing me back down to earth in these troubled times we're living through. 

At the end of this post you'll find a YouTube video of the Ten Mindful Movements as done at Plum Village in France, and below is my class handout for the movements. Please note, on number 8) I do a Half-squat, as I think that's safer on the knees than the Full Squat done in the Plum Village version. I've also added an extra exercise number 12) Hug Yourself, Hug the World. 

When practising the Ten Mindful Movements, every time you exhale you do a half-smile. This is super-relaxing! You'll find other smiling-breathing posts on my blog: The Breathe and Smile Meditation, and The Calming. Smiling Practice. Enjoy!