8 Excellent Activities for Mindfulness Group Therapy Exercises

Mindfulness can best be summed up as focusing on the present moment and recognizing your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. After reading this article you’ll know what mindfulness group activities adults might enjoy, as well as some therapy groups that focus on mindfulness.

1. Body Scan exercise

One of the most popular mindfulness group therapy activities is body scanning. It does not require any props or tools, which makes it good for beginners. 5 steps are involved in this exercise:

• Step 1) You can do this exercise either lying down or sitting. The easiest way is to lie on your back with your legs slightly apart, but if that’s uncomfortable, you can sit on a chair and place your feet flat on the floor.
• Step 2) If you need to, just move very carefully and always stay aware of your surroundings.
• Step 3)Now try to focus on your breathing, feeling the air go in and out of your nostrils. Notice the rhythm of your breaths.
• Step 4) You should now start focusing on how your body feels. This includes feeling the surface you’re currently resting on, the temperature of your skin and the texture of your clothes against it.
• Step 5) Starting with a body scan takes a detailed look at a person’s whole body, from head to toe. It helps them to concentrate specifically on how each part of their body feels.

If you want to, you can open your eyes once the scan is complete. You can also move around and reposition yourself.

2. Five senses exercise

This is a quick group mindfulness exercise that you can do at any time and in any situation

• Step 1) 1) the crack in the concrete, 2) the shadow, 3) the hummingbird outside of my window, 4) it’s rainy out (definitely true!), 5) six-thirty pm
• Step 2) Think of all the things you can touch, such as a table or even the air.
• Step 3) Notice 3 things that you can hear. This could be the sound of the fridge, or the traffic noise in the street.
• Step 4) Take a moment to consider what your nose is telling you about the environment. Maybe you can detect the scent of freshly baked bread or flowers on a spring morning.
• Step 5) Notice one thing you can taste. If you can’t, you might find it difficult to experience other tastes.

3. Mindful eating

In a recent survey of the popularity of mindfulness exercises, it was found that mindful eating was one of the most popular activities. It’s easy to incorporate into your day-to-day routine and can help combat distractions while working, mindless eating, and other unhealthy habits. Take some chocolate or a raisin and just notice how it feels in your hand. Notice the shape, color, smell, etc.

The next thing you should do is go over the way the food looks and smells. Check out how pungent it is, i.e. if it’s sharp, sweet, or bitter smelling. You should also notice what the consistency is like and see how it affects your mouth when you chew on it for a few seconds before swallowing.

4. Noticing another

Mindfulness group activities for adults are a great way to help you stay in the moment and appreciate what’s around you. A simple exercise is noticing when another person is present! This activity works best when both parties focus on each other, too.

• Step 1) Sit facing each other
• Step 2) Take turns telling each other what you like and appreciate about the other person. You should focus on things besides their physical presence, such as their motivation or sense of humor.

5. The listening game

This mindfulness exercise for groups focuses your full attention on the sounds around you. It is a simple exercise with few props so it is easy to lead and follow.

• Step 1) Everyone form a circle
• Step 2) Our first person starts by making a sound. A single beat or some rhythm is a good place to start.
• Step 3) Sound plays a vital role in the lives of many. It can help shape our emotions, it can trigger memories, and it can even alert you to dangerous situations.
• Step 4) Players who miss a sound lose a turn, and those who are out of the game should then try to distract other players. The last person remaining wins.

6. Progressive muscle relaxtion

One popular form of mindfulness group therapy is progressive muscle relaxation, which involves using the general squeeze and release technique.

• Step 1) You should lie down or sit on a chair for comfort.
• Step 2) Starting from your toes and working all the way up your body to your face, squeeze each part of your body and hold the tension for a couple of seconds before releasing. Notice how tense you get in your muscles before they relax.
• Step 3) This exercise can be done with just your hands, for example squeezing and releasing them. This can be good if you’re short of time or in a public place like work.

7. Objects in a bag

This group activity for mindfulness, that doesn’t require anything except a dark bag and some random items.

• Step 1) Take turns putting in your random objects. Try to make them different in texture and shape so each one feels new!
• Step 2) Pass the bag around and take turns to feel the objects. Think about how it feels through the bag – is it smooth, rough or uneven?

8. Write everything down

Here’s an activity you can teach yourself in just a few minutes.

• Step 1) Write down what is happening right now in your surroundings.
• Step 2) Then repeat; describe your thoughts.
• Step 3) Describe and also include information on how your body feels.
• Step 4) You should then describe what this activity has felt like to you. Observe and describe your experience.
• Step 5) Another way to create a sense of ownership, find agreement and deepen the connection between all participants is by swapping stories. Gather round and read aloud to one another. Notice similarities and differences in everyone’s accounts.