Table 1 Mindfulness exercises

1. Body scan

The main idea of the exercise is (sequentially and non-judgmentally) bringing detailed awareness to each part of the body. Participants learn to keep their attention focused over a sustained period of time, which helps them develop concentration, calmness and flexibility of attention [30].

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2. Mindful eating

The exercise involves a non-judgmental awareness of physical and emotional sensations while eating [54] or, in other words, a mindful (i.e., fully aware) approach to eating [55]. As eating is normally an “automatic act”, this exercise is a good illustration of the level to which we are often unaware of what is going on and an example of the changes that can occur if we slowdown and focus on simple acts [30].

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3. Sitting meditation with focus on breathing

During the exercise, participants focus their attention(primarily) on their breathing, but also sounds in the environment, body sensations, and their stream of thoughts and emotions [30, 56]. The exercise helps participants to let go of the past and the future and to pay attention to the simple as opposed to analyzing the complex [30].

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4. Paying attention during routine activities

The exercise encourages participants to choose one routine activity and make a deliberate effort to bring moment-to-moment awareness to the activity (e.g., brushing one’s teeth, taking a shower, taking out the garbage). By performing the exercise, participants start to realize that they can practice mindfulness by being present in all waking moments, no matter how ordinary and thus bring themselves back into the moment at any time [30].

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5. Three-step breathing space

Participants learn how to become fully aware of their thoughts or feelings (Step 1: acknowledging what is going on), then, having acknowledged them, to move their attention to their breathing (Step 2: bringing attention to the breath), before expanding attention to the body (Step 3: expanding attention [30]). This form of mini-meditation helps participants gather a scattered mind and relate more skillfully to difficult emotions as they arise [55].

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6. Mindfulness in everyday life

This is actually a compilation of a wide array of everyday informal mindfulness exercises, such as 1)focusing attention on breathing right after waking up, before leaving the bed, 2) using everyday sounds(e.g., birds singing) as a reminder of mindfulness, 3)being aware of bodily sensations when waiting in the line, … Such activities help an individual remember to be mindful in everyday life [55].

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7. Mindful walking

The exercise takes the everyday activity of walking and uses it as a mindfulness practice. During the exercise, participants walk, knowing that they are walking and feeling the walking. It is a form of a meditation in motion and the focus is on maintaining moment-to-moment awareness of the sensations accompanying our movements, letting go of any thoughts or feeling about the sensations themselves. The exercise can be useful, because it enables people to feel more grounded, using the body as an anchor to the present moment [30].

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8. Mindful movement

Mindful movement is based on yoga and falls under the category of body-based mindfulness exercises. During this exercise, participants are asked to perform movements such as stretching, raising up the arms, … The task is to pay attention to bodily sensations and notice which sensations are associated with each phase of the prescribed movements. This often enables participants to learn more about their bodies and to distinguish sensations in different parts of the body [30].

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9. Breathing space: Adding the action step

This exercise is an upgraded version of the three-step breathing space exercise described above. It involves a fourth step –choosing what to do next in terms of activity. Activities that are pleasurable or give a sense of mastery may be particularly helpful. Whatever action is taken, the idea is to act mindfully. Deciding to act can help participants to regulate their mood and can be an important step toward improving health and well-being [30].

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10. Staying present

This is a more general exercise that encourages participants to use their body as a way to awareness by, for example, staying mindful of their posture, paying attention to the sensations in their body at the moment, and being in their body as they move when they reach for something. The main idea is that patiently practicing feeling of what is there (and the body is always there) will help participants expand their awareness from times of formal meditation to living mindfully in the world [30].

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