.png)
Mindfulness: 5 Practical Exercises to Train Presence
- dr.ssa Elizabeth Moore
- Jul 20
- 5 min read
Mindfulness is a practice of awareness that helps us live fully in the present moment, welcoming what happens without judgment. The topics we'll cover in this article are:
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a state of mind of intentional awareness: it means paying attention, in the present moment, to what is happening inside and outside of us, with an attitude of openness and acceptance. It is a way of being, even more than a technique. Its roots lie in Buddhist meditation, but today it is a secular practice, used in psychology, medicine, and education.
How to practice it and how often?
Mindfulness can be cultivated through both formal practices (structured meditation exercises) and informal ones (small, mindful moments throughout the day). There's no "perfect dose" for everyone, but the ideal is to start with 10 minutes a day, even just three times a week, gradually increasing the amount. The key is consistency and the quality of your presence.
During formal practice, it's advisable to assume a comfortable but alert position: you can sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your back straight, or you can sit on a cushion with your legs crossed on the floor. Your hands can rest on your thighs or in your lap. The key is for your body to be stable but not rigid, in a posture that promotes concentration without generating tension.
Practical exercises to cultivate mindfulness
1. The 5-4-3-2-1: to start with the senses
This exercise helps you anchor yourself in the present moment using your five senses, and is particularly useful in moments of anxiety or distraction.
5 things you can see around you.
4 things you can touch or feel.
3 sounds you can hear.
2 smells you can smell.
1 flavor you taste or can imagine.
This simple exercise helps to interrupt the flow of thoughts and return to the here and now, in a gentle way.
2. Body scan
Lying or sitting in a comfortable position, slowly bring your attention to different parts of your body, starting from your feet and moving up to your head. Notice any physical sensations: heat, cold, tension, lightness, or absence of sensation.
The goal isn't to relax (although that can happen), but to observe the body with curiosity and presence. This exercise develops deep listening and improves the connection with one's body.
3. The grape (or raisin): food mindfulness
This classic exercise shows how often we eat automatically. Take a grape or other small food and observe it carefully:
The shape : is it regular or irregular?
The surface : smooth, rough, wrinkled?
The colors : uniform or with shades?
The smell : try to smell it before you put it in your mouth.
Touch : How does it feel between your fingers?
When you bring it to your mouth, notice what happens before you bite it: saliva, anticipation, reactions.
Then chew it slowly and watch the flavors release.
Finally, listen to the sensations that remain after ingesting it.
This exercise helps you rediscover your sense of taste and have a more mindful relationship with food.
4. The Wave of Pain: Welcoming What Hurts
When we experience pain (physical or emotional), our first reaction is often to push it away or fight it. Mindfulness, instead, suggests "breathing into" the pain, observing it attentively. Imagine it as a wave: it rises, reaches a peak, then subsides. No pain grows infinitely: even suffering has its own rhythm and movement.
Practicing mindfulness in these moments helps reduce the added suffering caused by resistance and anxiety. It doesn't eliminate the pain, but it makes us stronger and more present in dealing with it.
5. Relationships: conscious listening and presence
In everyday interactions, we often act automatically. We might meet someone and not even remember their name, or we might speak without really listening.
Practicing mindfulness in relationships means bringing attention to:
what we feel when we talk to each other
to non-verbal language
when we are distracted
how we react to emotional stimuli
Even brief moments of relational awareness can transform relationships, making them more authentic, empathetic, and less reactive.
Conclusions: a powerful tool for knowing ourselves
Mindfulness is not just a relaxation technique: it is a powerful tool for training presence and perception.
With regular mindfulness exercises, we begin to notice many things that previously escaped us : the colors of objects, the smells in the air, the details of everyday gestures. The mind learns to slow down and observe. We begin to recognize the negative or intrusive thoughts that accompany us throughout the day without us realizing it. We learn to "see" what we previously ignored.
This awareness has many applications:
improve emotional well-being
manage anxiety and stress better
increase concentration and memory
improve your relationship with your body and with others
develop empathy and resilience
Mindfulness is like a superpower. If we activate it, it gives us the ability to live more fully, to immerse ourselves in that reality that previously surrounded us almost without realizing it.
written by:
Dr. Elizabeth Moore,
Psychologist and Mindfulness Educator
For information or appointments
Tel.: 351.8919402
email: elizabethmoore.em@gmail.com
Bibliography
"The Miracle of Mindfulness" by Thich Nhat Hanh
This book is a guide to mindfulness practice, written by the renowned Vietnamese Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh. It explores how mindfulness can be integrated into daily life to improve mental and physical well-being.
"Mindfulness: A Guide to Understanding and Practice" by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Jon Kabat-Zinn is one of the pioneers of mindfulness in the West. In this book, he explores the concept of mindfulness, its application in daily life, and how it can be used to reduce stress and improve quality of life.
"Being Happy: How Mindfulness Can Help Us Live Better" by Gil Fronsdal
Another essential book for those who want to start practicing mindfulness. Fronsdal explains how awareness can help us live a more balanced and happy life.
External resources:
Here are some authoritative external resources:
Mindful.org
Mindful.org is an educational and practical resource on mindfulness. It offers articles, guides, and tips on how to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life. It's a resource for anyone who wants to learn and practice mindfulness.
Link: https://www.mindful.org/
National Health Service (NHS) - UK - "Mindfulness"
The NHS provides evidence-based informational articles on how mindfulness can improve mental health, reduce stress, and support wellbeing.
Link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mindfulness/
University of Oxford - Oxford Mindfulness Centre
This university center offers research and resources on mindfulness, with a particular focus on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).
