Constantly new appointments, always in a hurry - other people, objects or feelings often pass us by without us really noticing them. With simple mindfulness exercises, you can effectively slow down your everyday life and even prevent illness.

"Mindfulness in this context means turning off the body's autopilot, being consciously in the here and now by perceiving, smelling, tasting, seeing, hearing," explains Lara Drockner, employee in the spa area of the Romantik- and Wellnesshotel Deimann in Schmallenberg. Here, guests can learn various meditation techniques that also support self-healing and can be integrated into everyday life. "It all starts with conscious breathing," says Drockner. "Which of the mindfulness exercises works for the guests in each case is completely individual."

There are three simple exercises to live more relaxed and healthy life.

The exercises at a glance

1. BREATHE AWAY STRESS
2. START MINDFULLY
3. BODY SCAN

"Conscious breathing is our anchor in stressful situations!" says Lara Drockner. Concentrating on your own breathing in difficult situations relaxes you and gives you inner peace. You can incorporate this exercise into your everyday life in almost any place: Sit with your back upright, relax your shoulders, place one hand flat on your stomach, close your eyes. Now breathe in deeply through your nose. Feel how the air flows into the body, spreads out and how the abdominal wall bulges. Breathe out in the same relaxed way. Feel how the air flows out of the body and the abdominal wall lowers again. Repeat this process ten times. "We recommend that our guests set a reminder on their mobile phone so that they are reminded of their breath anchor one to three times a day," says Lara Drockner.

Getting up too late, sprinting to the bathroom and the coffee machine to make it to the office on time - that's how many people start their day, and this tension often lasts until the evening. Mindfulness in the morning helps to stay focused and relaxed throughout the day. The mindful start can be trained: After waking up, lie still for a few minutes and look at the ceiling of the room: What does it look like? Does the light cast shadow patterns? Are there any spots or peculiarities? Only then sit up, stretch, feel into your body. Where is it tense? What thoughts and feelings arise in you? Notice them without judging them. Now start your day - calm and relaxed.

Healing processes and relaxation are stimulated when one's own body is consciously perceived more often. "You need to plan half an hour for such a body scan," says Lara Drockner. You can do such a conscious walk through your body while lying or sitting. The important thing is that your body and mind come to rest. Start by breathing in and out calmly. Close your eyes as you exhale and concentrate on the individual parts of your body - from your feet to your head. How do your toes feel? Where do they touch the floor? Move your toes and feet. What do you feel? Which muscles are activated for the movement? The aim of this mindful walk: to get a deeper sense of the interplay between mind and body, to reduce tension and prevent stress-related illnesses.