3 Mindfulness Techniques That Will Actually Stick

My experience with meditation has been riddled with ups and downs.

It’s one of those things that I always knew was good for me, but the journey towards cementing a practice that provided a place of peacefulness and safety has been full of inconsistency, confusion, and doubt. 

“Am I doing this wrong?” “Shouldn’t this be easier?” “Ugh, I just don’t feel like it right now.”

To assuage these thoughts, I tried everything (literally). Mindfulness apps, retreats, podcasts, books – you name it.

But the reality is that I didn’t feel comfortable with my practice until I let go of what worked for other people and instead focused on something I would enjoy and could commit to with consistency. 

For me, that looks like a jumble of 3 mindfulness techniques that I use depending on my schedule and emotional state on any given day. 

1. Counting the breath 

Counting the breath is derived from Step 1 of the Buddhist meditation practice Anapana Sat and is a great choice for beginner meditators. On days where I feel relatively concentrated and at ease, breath-counting is my default. 

For this method, I typically sit upright on a meditation cushion (to avoid falling asleep) and count backwards from 100 – starting with an in-breath on the count of 100 and the out-breath on the count of 99, eventually working my way down to zero. 

This practice is a goodie for getting your brain to produce alpha waves – stimulating feelings of relaxation and calm. 

2. Chakra clearing meditations

As my interest in meditation has evolved, I’ve begun to educate myself more on the body’s 7 chakras and how imbalances can affect our mental and emotional well-being. On days where I feel off-balance or am lacking in self-induced concentration, I like to put on guided chakra healing meditations.

Not only are guided meditations a great place to start for intro meditators, but they can also provide an anchor when your mind is particularly busy wandering. 

If you’re looking for inspiration, Debbie Boucher’s “Guided Meditation for Clearing your Chakras” has been a favourite of mine lately. 

3. 10 conscious breaths

There are days where, for whatever reason, a structured meditation session just isn’t going to happen. Sometimes it’s because I’m out all day and don’t have time, while other days I simply forget about it until I’m already lying in bed, ready for sleep. 

On days like these, my bare minimum mindfulness practice is pausing to simply take 10 conscious breaths (taking inspiration from James Clear’s Atomic Habits) – re-focusing, as best as possible, on my inhalations and exhalations for just a precious few moments.

The good news is that this can be done pretty much anywhere – from waiting in line at the grocery store to standing in the shower. And, while it might not seem like much, I have to believe that taking this quick pause is better than nothing – so the downside of slotting this if-all-else-fails technique into your day is limited.

At the end of the day, developing a meditation practice is a process of trial and error, and will likely continue to evolve as our schedules and priorities shift. But the best advice I can give is to find what works for YOU – if it becomes a chore/dreaded activity, it just won’t stick.