Meditation Techniques for the Busy Mind

The world spins and whirls.

It blurs past with a ferocity so intense that it can leave your head spinning.

Then, meditation steps in to offer a sacred pause, a moment to catch your breath. Meditative practices let us tend to the world within. And as we do, busy minds settle, fidgeting fingers find stillness and our minds and hearts realign.

However you choose to practice, taking moments to pour back into yourself is always time well spent. Studies have shown that dedicating time to mindfulness practices can improve blood pressure, sleep and stress levels. So if you’ve felt overwhelmed and anxious recently, it’s time to return home to center. Uncover new ways to connect with yourself and beat the stress of everyday life with the ancient rituals below.

From mindfulness walks to cleaning as a meditative practice, here are a few of our most accessible and beginner-friendly meditation techniques. Try one, try them all or even blend a few for your own personal experience. There’s no wrong way to meditate. Perhaps, that’s what makes it so freeing.

Walking Meditation

When to Practice: The body tends to fill with energy when overwhelm and fear begin to take root. Use moving meditation to release excess energy quickly.

How:

• Begin by walking wherever you choose. Bonus points if you can make it outside. 
• Whether you have shoes on or not, draw your attention to the soles of your feet as you begin.
• With each step, consider the way your weight shifts forward as you step, the lift of the toes and the opposite heel landing just ahead of you. As your mind wanders, bring it back to these sensations. 

Breathing: Match your breath with movement in a way that feels comfortable. Try inhaling for two steps, exhaling for two steps. 

Sensory Meditation

When to Practice: For the times you need to sneak in a quick mindful moment, sensory meditation is here to bring you back into your body.

How:

• Aim your attention to any one of the five senses.
• Focus on the sensation of air flowing through your nostrils, the brightness of colors surrounding you or even contemplate each sound you hear.
• However you choose, lean into that moment entirely until it feels complete.
• Use as many senses as you wish to find stillness.

Breathing: Easy, effortless breathing. Perhaps it slows, perhaps it doesn’t.

The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Method

When to Practice: As anxious thoughts creep in, use the world around you to ground yourself with ease.

How:

• Name each of the following to help anchor yourself in the present moment:
  • Five things you can see
  • Four things you can physically feel
  • Three things you can hear
  • Two things you can smell
  • One thing you can taste

Breathing: Calm and natural. The focus of this exercise is presence rather than connection to the breath. Trust it will arrive naturally.

Finger Tapping

When to Practice: For a private moment in public, try this subtle finger tapping technique. 

How:

• Press your thumb to your index finger, then middle, then ring, then pinky.
• Then, reverse the pattern — thumb to pinky, then ring, then middle, then index. Repeat.
• Pair it with a rhythmic thought, phrase or count 1-2-3-4.

Breathing: Align the breath with movement if it feels peaceful to do so. Try an inhale for one full round and an exhale for the next.

Candle Gazing

When to Practice: A mystical and magical moment to slow you down enough to hear what the universe is trying to say.

How: This one is as simple (and as magical) as it sounds. 

• Light your favorite candle, preferably in a dim and serene room.
• Gaze into the candle and allow what thoughts arrive to simply be acknowledged and released.
• Should you crave a deeper release, allow yourself to consider the colors and shapes of the flame. Let what you see bring you back to the present moment.

Breathing: Connect to your breath in a way that feels comforting to you.

Mindful Chores

When to Practice: Turn your to-do list into creative rituals by deepening your presence one clean dish or folded shirt at a time.

How:

• Choose a task to perform.
• Allow its repetitiveness to make the task second nature to you.
• Whether ironing out creases or rinsing a plate, honor the task at hand as you care for your environment and yourself. 
• Cleaning is often described as a “holy act”. So embrace it in a way that makes it feel as holy to you as possible.

Breathing: If you feel your mind drifting, breathe in for 4 and out for 4.

Coloring and crafting

When to Practice: Instead of drowning in big feelings, pour them out through your creative practice and see what inspired work appears.

How:

• After choosing your preferred method of creation, dive in wholeheartedly. 
• Set the scene with music, lighting and maybe even snacks or a cup of tea. 
• Begin your creative practice and allow yourself to get lost in the act of it.
• Pay attention to your hands and watch as they move. 
• Notice your breath and how it slows the deeper you move into your practice.

Breathing: Comforting, calm and supportive, here your breath is effortless and something you notice in between movements. 

Every day is filled with choices. By taking time to cultivate a connection between the present moment and our inner worlds, we are choosing to move peacefully and with intention. We are choosing to remember that the outside world can wait because we come first. Each time you meditate, you are choosing yourself. So, embrace the practices that call to you and allow yourself to get lost in each moment. Life is precious, beautiful and worth being fully present for.