A Self-Guided Day of Mindfulness

Give yourself a mindful reboot: Pick a day and practice these three guided meditations, one in the morning, one at noon, and one in the evening.

You don’t have to spend a fortune on a fancy mindfulness retreat to give yourself a reboot this summer. Instead, simply pick a day and try this self-guided day of mindfulness practices, one in the morning, one at noon, and one in the evening. A day spent punctuated by mindful moments? Priceless.

1) In the Morning: Move

When you start your day on autopilot—rolling from your pillow, to your phone’s notifications, to your coffee, and then to work without pause—you miss out on insights that could help shape the rest of your day. Follow this mindful movement practice to intentionally start your morning with movement, breath, and stillness so you can focus your mind, energize your body, and listen in.

2) In the Afternoon: Relax

Often when we’re stressed or overwhelmed, we aim to calm down our breathing or our thoughts—overlooking the impact that stress also has on our whole body. By practicing a body scan, you can invite your attention to wander towards those places where you may be holding stress, and give yourself the opportunity to release tension in a clenched jaw or tight shoulders. This gentle practice is useful for beginners and experienced meditators alike.

30-Minute Body Scan for Beginners

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3) In the Evening: Sleep

This sleep meditation guides you through feeling whatever sensations are present by scanning the body for vibrations, tingling sensations, heaviness, pressure, movement, heat, coolness. When we notice these sensations without trying to change them or make them different and simply bring mindful curiosity and openness to the present moment, we allow ourselves the freedom to drift off to dreamland.