The Ten-Minute Return: Mindful Movement for Seasons That Feel Full

NERVOUS SYSTEMMINDFUL MOVEMENTSELF CAREWELLNESS

Jodi Bremner PT, Founder of Hervana Women's Wellness

6 min read

A woman in linen clothing practices mindful movement on a yoga mat in a sunlit room with autumn decor.

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Your ten-minute mindful movement practice

You can practise this in the morning, between meetings, after school drop-off, or before bed. You do not need special clothing or a large space. A yoga mat is lovely, but a carpet, firm bed, or quiet corner will do.

Move slowly. Stay curious. Nothing should feel sharp, forced, or alarming.

Minute 1–2: Arrive with your breath

Find a comfortable seated or lying position.

Let your feet, legs, or sitting bones feel supported. Place one hand around your lower ribs and the other over your lower belly.

Begin to notice your natural breath without changing it.

Then, gently invite the breath to widen through your ribs and soften your belly. Imagine your ribcage expanding in all directions: forward, sideways, and toward your back.

Allow the inhale to be easy. Let the exhale last just a little longer, without forcing it.

As you breathe in, imagine the base of your pelvis softening and widening. As you breathe out, allow your body to settle.

Take five to eight comfortable breaths.

There is no need to pull your belly in or actively clench your pelvic floor. For many women, especially those living with pelvic tension or pain, the first step is learning that release is allowed.

Minute 3–4: Wake up your spine

Come to standing, sitting, or hands and knees: whichever feels most comfortable for your body.

Begin with small shoulder circles. Let your arms hang loosely as you roll the shoulders up, back, and down. Repeat slowly in both directions.

Next, bring gentle movement to your spine.

If you are seated, place your hands on your thighs. As you inhale, allow your chest to lift slightly. As you exhale, soften back through your spine without collapsing.

If you are on hands and knees, move through a small version of cat and cow. Let the movement be fluid rather than dramatic.

If neither option feels right, simply turn your head slowly from side to side and notice the space around your neck.

Keep the range small. You are not trying to stretch as far as possible. You are reminding your body that movement can be comfortable and unhurried.

Minute 5–7: Move through your pelvis and hips

Come onto your back with your knees bent and your feet resting on the floor. You can also do this seated if lying down is not comfortable.

Begin with gentle pelvic rocking.

As you exhale, allow your pelvis to tilt slightly so your lower back becomes a little heavier beneath you. As you inhale, return to a neutral position.

The movement may be barely visible. That is perfectly enough.

Continue for five to eight repetitions, staying within a comfortable range.

Then, let both knees slowly drift a few inches to one side and return to centre. Repeat on the other side. Move like sea grass in shallow water: supported, soft, and easy to change direction.

If it feels good, bring one knee toward your chest and then lower it. Alternate sides. Keep your opposite foot grounded and your breath relaxed.

These small movements can help you reconnect with your hips, lower back, pelvis, and abdomen without demanding intensity from any one area.

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Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy

Upcoming Experiences

A woman practicing mindfulness and deep breathing while sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat in a sunny room.

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September can feel like a threshold.

The slower rhythm of summer begins to shift. School calendars return. Work becomes fuller. Evenings grow shorter. There are more commitments, more lists, more places to be.

And somewhere along the way, the movement routine that felt natural in summer may quietly disappear.

If this has happened to you, you are not failing. Your body has simply been adapting to a changing season.

You do not need to begin again with a demanding plan or a perfect schedule. Sometimes, the most supportive place to start is with ten gentle minutes : enough time to breathe, move, and feel yourself return to your body.

Why gentle movement matters

Mindful movement is not about pushing harder or achieving a certain shape. It is about noticing how you feel as you move.

When movement is slow and connected to the breath, it can help your nervous system shift out of urgency. Your shoulders may soften. Your jaw may unclench. Your breathing may become less shallow. Your attention can begin to settle into the sensations of the present moment.

This matters for your pelvic floor, too.

Your diaphragm, abdominal wall, hips, and pelvic floor work together as part of your body’s central support system. When you are stressed, rushing, holding your breath, or bracing against discomfort, your pelvic floor may begin to hold tension along with you.

Gentle movement offers another message: You are safe enough to soften. You can breathe. You can listen.

In my work as a pelvic floor physiotherapist, I often encourage women to think beyond strength alone. A healthy pelvic floor needs coordination and coordination includes the ability to relax, lengthen, respond, and release.

That is why this practice begins with breath and ends with rest.

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A peaceful woman practicing mindfulness meditation on a floor cushion in a sunny, plant-filled living room.

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Minute 8–9: Add a simple standing movement

Come to standing near a wall or chair if you would like support.

With your feet comfortably grounded, slowly reach one arm overhead as you breathe in. Let your ribs and side body lengthen. Lower the arm as you exhale.

Repeat on the other side.

You can add a gentle side-to-side sway, keeping your knees soft. Notice the feeling of your feet making contact with the floor.

This is a simple way to bring mindful movement into a busy day. You are not trying to create a workout. You are creating a moment of circulation, orientation, and connection.

If standing is not right for you today, repeat the arm movement seated.

Minute 10: Close with rest

Return to sitting or lying down.

Let your hands rest wherever they feel comforting : over your ribs, belly, heart, or thighs.

Notice three things:

One place that feels softer
One place that feels more spacious
One sensation you had not noticed before

There is no need to evaluate the practice. Let it be complete because you showed up.

Take one final easy breath. Feel the support beneath you.

Then continue with your day.

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On harder days, less is still movement

There may be days when ten minutes feels like too much.

Perhaps you are postpartum and tired from broken sleep. Perhaps perimenopause has brought pain, fatigue, or unfamiliar changes. Perhaps you are living with a flare-up, a busy mind, or a body that needs more support than usual.

On those days, you can reduce the practice.

Try:

Three slow breaths while sitting on the edge of the bed
Gentle ankle circles while lying down
One minute of shoulder movement
A short, supported walk through your home
Resting with your knees supported and noticing your breath
Moving only the parts of your body that feel comfortable today

You can also practise the first two minutes and stop.

That is not giving up. It is listening.

If movement increases pain, pelvic pressure, heaviness, dizziness, bleeding, or other concerning symptoms, pause and seek individualized guidance. If you are postpartum or managing an ongoing condition, a women’s health or pelvic floor physiotherapist can help you adapt movement to your stage of healing.

You can learn more about pelvic health physiotherapy at Hervana Women’s Wellness, or explore how breath and the pelvic floor work together.

Consistency over intensity

A ten-minute practice will not look impressive from the outside.

There may be no sweat. No finished workout video. No measurable achievement to share.

But there may be a quieter kind of progress: noticing tension sooner, breathing more freely, feeling steadier in your hips, or remembering that your body is not another task to complete.

You do not need a perfect routine. You need a practice that is gentle enough to return to.

Try connecting these ten minutes to something you already do. After your morning tea. Before your first email. When your children leave for school. While the kettle warms. Just before bed.

Let the cue be simple. Let the movement be kind.

Over time, these small moments can become a reliable rhythm: a way to return to your body even when life feels full.

At Hervana Women’s Wellness, we believe wellness is not about asking you to become someone new. It is about creating the conditions for you to hear yourself more clearly, with compassion and support.

Whether you are beginning again, moving through recovery, or simply longing for more ease, you are welcome here.

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Today, give yourself ten unhurried minutes to breathe, move gently, and come a little closer to home in your body.