Welcome to The Mindful Fit Pro Blog! You’re likely here because you recognize mindfulness is a powerful tool for enhancing mental well-being and improving your effectiveness as a fitness instructor, but you could use some help settling into a consistent practice.
I know the struggle. Like most fitness instructors, I love to move! Which unfortunately meant formal seated meditation was quite difficult for me to get the feel for (you can read the origins of my mindfulness practice here) and my practice took some time to develop. Eventually though, after exploring different types of meditation, learning the difference between informal and formal practice, and a lot of self-reflection on which practices felt right for me, I was able to create a practice that was uniquely mine. One that I am eager to do daily and not just another thing to add to my to-do list. In this blog post, I hope to share with you how to lay the foundation for your own mindfulness practice.
You likely already know the benefits of mindfulness, and you want to be more present, but you can’t get your brain to get on board with slowing down. So, if you desperately want to get to the point where you can sit on your mat, settle in, and know how to reconnect with yourself in the moment, keep reading.
To start, I’d like to note the difference between formal and informal mindfulness practices, and the importance of each. Formal mindfulness practices refer to dedicated sessions of meditation or mindfulness exercises, typically done in a structured way. These practices can be guided or self-led and may include concentration techniques, breathing exercises, body scans, or any other meditation meant to bring focus, concentrated attention, or open awareness to the present moment. On the other hand, informal mindfulness practices involve bringing mindfulness into your daily activities and routines. This can include being fully present during workouts, mindfully eating your next meal, or practicing gratitude and awareness of how you are feeling throughout the day. The benefit of informal practices is that they can be done anywhere and everywhere. They are the most accessible way of practicing mindfulness because they simply rely on shifting your attention to how you feel or what you are thinking as you go about your day. For this post though, we’ll focus on how to create more consistency in your formal mindfulness practice.
Formal mindfulness practices lay the foundation for developing a deeper sense of mindfulness and self-awareness. Time spent in formal practice is when you build the skills needed to bring more focused attention and awareness into all the other areas of your life and teaching, so you can become more mindful both on and off your mat.
Here are some tips to help establish consistency and maintain a meaningful mindfulness routine:
- Start small: Begin with short sessions. If 20 minutes of silence alone with nothing but your own thoughts sounds excrutiating, try starting with perhaps just 1 minute. Setting manageable goals for your formal practice, then gradually increasing the duration as you become more comfortable is the key to building a sustainable mindfulness practice that doesn’t feel like a chore.
- Choose a convenient time: Choose the time of day that works best for you, and try to stick with it regularly. Select a time that fits relatively seamlessly into your daily routine and determine what kind of time commitment is realistic for you. If you’re rushing to the studio early in the morning, spending 30 minutes on progressive muscle relaxation probably isn’t going to work well. Your practice will be just that, your’s, so you can work it into your day however feels right. That could be 5 minutes in the morning when you arrive at the gym, or 15 minutes during a break between blocks of classes, or even a few minutes in the evening to release any stress you’re bringing home with you. Consistency in timing helps establish a habit but you’ll also need to extend yourself some grace as you learn which time of day fits your schedule best. Consistency develops a routine but being flexible is important too. If you find you’re especially tired in the evening and it’s hard not to fall asleep when you go to sit, try doing your formal mindfulness practices in the morning instead of fighting against exhaustion.
- Experiment: Explore a variety of mindfulness techniques to find what resonates best with you. Over time you’ll add a variety of practices to your mindfulness “tool box” and find what serves you best at different times or situations. These practices might include mindful breathing, body scan, affirmations, guided visualizations, or something of your own creation. Blend your own schedule of informal and formal practices to create your own unique mindfulness practice. Trying different approaches will help you discover what feels most natural and effective. Not all the exercises will resonate with you at this time, and that’s okay. All I ask is that you give each approach a few different tries before you rule it out.
- Create your own space: No, I don’t mean buying a new meditation cushion or investing in fancy mood lighting. When you’re first starting out and distractions are coming from every direction, see if you can find (or make changes to an existing) space where you feel more connected to the present naturally. Maybe you feel most yourself on a walk through nature but the weather doesn’t always allow you to engage in your current mindfulness practice outdoors. How can you bring more of nature into the space you’d like to create for yourself? You don’t need a lot of room, and you don’t even need it to be a quiet place.
Understand that building consistency takes time and effort. Try your best to be kind to yourself and approach your practice with a sense of curiosity and openness rather than judgment or pressure.
Guided Practice
When you are first starting out, you may find it helpful to use guided recordings or meditation apps to support your formal practice, especially if they can send you reminder notifications for a time you’ve set aside to practice. These resources provide structure and guidance that can be especially helpful if you’re new to meditation and still a little unsure how to go about practicing mindfulness.
The Mindful Fit Pro offers free guided meditations to help you further develop your mindfulness practice. I recommend starting with the one below, listening enough times that you know the practice by heart and then seeing if you like going without audio instructions and practicing on your own.
Reflection Questions:
You can go deeper into your practice by journalling your insights afterwards and reflecting on whether the particular technique you used was helpful for you at this time. Below are some reflection questions you can ask yourself after completing a formal mindfulness practice:
- How did I feel physically, mentally, and emotionally during this formal practice?
- What thoughts or emotions arose during the practice, and how did I observe and navigate them?
- Did I notice any patterns or habits of mind during the practice, such as distractions or judgments? How did I respond to them?
- What aspects of the formal practice felt challenging, and what strategies helped me stay present and focused?
- Did I experience any moments of clarity or insight during the practice? If so, what realizations emerged for me?
- Would I be open to trying this practice again? Are there any adjustments or refinements I would like to make to this formal practice based on my reflections and insights?
Consistency in your formal mindfulness practice can lead to profound benefits, both personally and professionally. With a regular formal practice, you may notice improvements in your ability to juggle all the things you have do in a day without feeling overwhelmed, communicate more effectively with clients, and cultivate a greater sense of confidence and trust in yourself as you head into classes.
Thank you for taking the time to reads this post! Let me know if you found the tips, guided practice, and reflection questions here helpful in laying the foundation for your own personal mindfulness practice.
My hope is that this post will help you start building consistency in your formal practice, so you can experience the power of mindfulness for yourself. I invite you to share your biggest takeaways or questions in the comments below or join The Mindful Fit Pro Community to hear from other fitness professionals and receive further guidance and support.
Wishing you well!
-Shelly