Mind body exercises

By connecting our minds and bodies, we unlock opportunities to enhance our physical and mental wellbeing through the process of integration. The following exercises combine mental focus and some form of body involvement, such as movements or breathing (or both!). By bringing awareness to the present moment, throughway of our bodies, we pave new neural-pathways to increase our internal resources. 

I believe in mind body exercises so deeply that I named my therapy practice Robyn Gray | Mind Body. 

Here, I’ll discuss the benefits of mind body connection exercises and give you specific exercises that you can try today.

If you’re interested in more specialized and guided mind body work,  head over to my meditations shop and select a meditation bundle that sounds beneficial to your specific needs. Or, follow me on Insight Timer.

Why you should practice mind body exercises

With greater understanding of the connectivity between our physical, emotional, and spiritual selves, we can heal emotional pain and gain deep insight into how our bodies function. By increasing our attunement, we can understand everyday triggers and access the innate wisdom we all have to heal.

Benefits of mind body exercises can also include the following:

• Enhancing sleep

• Decreasing pain

• Decreasing anxiety

• Increasing our self-efficacy and wellbeing

• Increasing our resilience to medical treatments

• Strengthening our immune systems

When you do mind body work, you may discover even more benefits personal to you. In addition to the benefits noted above, I have experienced myself and witnessed through my clients healthier adult relationships, improved intimacy and a more stable mood. 

Best mind body connection exercises

Here, I’ll list a few mind body connection exercises that I recommend to my clients.

Breathwork

Many beneficial breathing exercises can help strengthen the mind body connection.

• The 4-7-8 technique or Relaxing Breath. This is a simple and effective breathing technique. All you have to do is breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, and then slowly exhale for eight seconds.

• Diaphragmic breathing (belly breathing). Diaphragmatic breathing involves a deep connection with our bodies through touch. To do diaphragmic breathing, please one hand on your upper chest and the other on your torso. Inhale through your nose and feel the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe. 

• Alternate nostril breathing. This breathing technique is as simple as it sounds. Press your thumbs on alternating nostrils as you inhale and exhale. 

• Breath focus technique. The breath focus technique is an excellent mind body connection exercise. To do the breath focus technique, practice deep breathing and focusing on a word or image that calms you. For example, you can say “relax” to yourself or visualize a calming place like your favorite hidden beach spot or a crystal-clear forest lake. Mindfully feel calm washing over you, and imagine the stress leaving you as you exhale.

• Equal breathing. This technique is another simple way to connect to your body. At a pace that feels comfortable to you, match your inhales and exhales in length.

There are many breathing techniques, but these are great for beginners exploring breathwork. If you feel activated or triggered by breathework, please know that nothing is wrong with you. Some individuals find breathwork triggering and this can occur for many reasons. If this happens to you, I invite you to breathe in a way that feels comfortable to you. You can work towards breathing exercises or try other ways to connect to your body. 

Progressive muscle relaxation

Mentally and physically release tension in each area of your body with progressive muscle relaxation. This activity is great to do before bed if you have trouble falling asleep.

Squeeze different areas of your body and then release them, starting with your toes. Continue up your body until you reach your head. Slowly start squeezing on inhales, and relax on exhales, quickly releasing the tension (don’t draw it out). Be mindful of how good the release feels!

Guided imagery

You can practice guided imagery on your own or with an audio recording or meditation instructor.

To experience guided imagery, picture a relaxing or healing place (this can be unique to you, or imagine something more generic like a still mountain lake). Immerse yourself in that imaginary relaxing place by attuning yourself to your senses.

1. What do you see? Do you see vivid colors of fall leaves or the rich aquamarine of shallow ocean waters?

2. What do you hear? Do you hear the sounds of the forest or water trickling down rocks in a stream?

3. What do you feel? Is there a breeze? Is the sun shining overhead and onto your skin? Or are you inside swaddled in a soft blanket?

4. What do you smell? Do you smell cool dirt and fresh flowers or salt and seaweed pouring in from a body of water?

5. What do you taste? Do you taste freshly baked cookies or the smoke from a campfire?

Mindfulness, or the practice of being curious about taking in your relaxing or healing surroundings with your senses, is key to guided imagery.

Meditation

As a creator and leader of meditations, I can attest to the power of meditation as a mind body connection exercise.

Scientific research further proves the benefits of meditation. For example, meditation has been shown to:

1. Reduces stress

2. Increase attention spans

3. Promote emotional health

4. Improve self awareness

And much, much more.

There are many forms of meditations and countless meditations available online. Still, it’s best to find ones that draw upon many of the principles and practices discussed here: breathwork, felt sense or an awareness of one’s body through the 5 senses, guided imagery, mindfulness, etc.

I offer meditations for sale that put a central focus on the mind body connection. If you’re interested, click the button below!

Yoga

Yoga is certainly heavy on the “body” part of mind body exercises, but yoga has mental healing properties as well. 

To successfully experience yoga to its fullest effects, you must be in touch with your mind and body through a lense of interoception, which is observing what is happening in the moment through the felt sense (bodily sensations). This includes observing the quality of your breath, heart rate, muscle awareness and overall felt sense. In addition, balance, mental attunement, and breathing are crucial to holding challenging positions, stretching our bodies, and maintaining stamina throughout a class (safely, of course).

Good yoga instructors make special efforts to address participants’ mental and emotional states during classes. As you begin and end your practice, you will be invited to release and reset your mind and body, making this a highly effective mind body exercise.

Practice mind body connection today

My meditations are an excellent place to start if you are new to mind body connection work. I offer a variety of meditations that focus on things like inner child work, sleep, chronic pain,  and soothing your nervous system to feel more calm. You can browse my meditations by clicking the button below, or follow me on Insight Timer.