Mindful Movement / Mindful Yoga

Gentle movements (simple yoga poses, stretches, bends) are performed slowly and with full attention to body sensations. The aim is not flexibility or fitness, but learning presence through movement. Especially important for people in depression who avoid their own body and movement.

Step-by-step guide

1. Begin standing or lying down. Two-three slow breaths.
2. First movement: raise the arms upward — very slowly, noticing every moment.
3. Pause in each position for 3–5 breath cycles.
4. Notice: where is there tension, where is there ease? Where is the edge of the comfortable?
5. Move at the edge of what is possible, without forcing — with kindness toward the body.
6. If discomfort appears — do not turn away, but explore: what exactly, where, of what quality?
7. Close in stillness (savasana or sitting), allow the body to "settle".

When to use

• Home practice in weeks 5–6 (30 min, 3–4 times a week)
• As an alternative to Body Scan for clients who find it hard to lie still
• As an entry into mindfulness through the body for people with cognitive difficulties

Key phrases

Follow-up questions