How to Turn Every Chore into a Moving Meditation

How you can stop "getting through" your chores and start being present within them

Reading time: 3 minutes

We often view our daily chores as the mountain of laundry, the dirty dishes, the relentless vacuuming and as the "stuff" getting in the way of our actual lives. It is odd that, as children, we wanted to be involved as much as possible, even more so, since we had toy hoovers and toy kitchens. However, with repetition, it can soon follow mundanity. We rush through them, listening to a podcast or music as background noise, just trying to reach the moment where we can finally sit down and "be spiritual" or ‘switch off.’

But what if the chore can be part of our daily meditation?

Moving meditation is the practice of bringing your full, conscious awareness to physical movement. It transforms a mindless task into a grounding ritual. Here is how you can stop "getting through" your chores and start being present within them.

Set a "Threshold" Intention

Before you start any task, pause for three seconds. As you touch the vacuum handle or turn on the tap, set a simple intention. It serves as a reminder for ourselves that this task is being done for a better day forward. If you are struggling with intentions or mantras to repeat throughout the day, here are some examples that have worked for me.

“I am cleaning this space to create peace for my family.”

“I am nourishing my body by preparing this food.”

“I am embodying my natural beauty by applying lip gloss.”

The mental shift is that this moves the task from a "must-do" to an "offering." It might sound silly, but viewing it as more of a mentally and emotionally rewarding task can really help, and eventually you won’t need to fake it; it will just naturally feel as such. It’s nice to have a clean space for your family to unwind and relax, but also for yourself and help you set alternative intentions for additional meditation or spiritual tasks.

Engage the Five Senses

The easiest way to drop out of your racing mind and into your body is through sensory input. This is the core of mindfulness. Instead of trying to finish these chores as quickly as possible as a mindless zombie on repeat, take pauses and connect with your surroundings through your senses.

Touch: Feel the temperature of the dishwasher or the texture of the fabric you’re folding.

Sight: Watch the bubbles dissipate or notice the way the light hits a clean surface.

Sound: Listen to the rhythmic "shush" of the broom or the hum of the dryer.

Smell: Lean into the scent of lemon polish, fresh linen, or roasted coffee.

In another way of remaining present in these moments, it can also be seen as a sense of romanticising these formerly mundane areas of our lives. Like anything, it will take some practice switching your mindset and engaging your mind through these chores, but with repetition, it will all be worth it.

Match Movement with Breath

In yoga, we call this Vinyasa, which is breath-synchronised movement. You can do the same with chores as with any movement in yoga. For example, when folding clothes, inhale as you reach for an item, and exhale as you smooth it flat, or while scrubbing a counter, use long, circular motions that follow the rhythm of your natural breath.

Linking movement to breath calms the nervous system and prevents the "rushed" feeling that causes stress. It allows your body to completely relax and surrender under the notion that this is a positive experience for your mind, body and soul.

A stressed nervous system during these tasks isn’t healthy and is a waste of mental energy in our days. Allowing yourself to flow through the day with tactical breathing can leave you with tonnes more energy to engage with your kids, a creative task or a project.

Practice "Single-Tasking"

In 2025, we are addicted to "habit stacking" listening to an audiobook while we cook, while also checking our watches. It’s like trying to cram everything into one swift movement, but it can lead to burnt food, burnt-out mind and overstimulation. For a moving meditation, do one thing at a time.

So go and put your phone in another room, turn off the TV and begin to be comfortable in silence. This is something that I personally struggle with, as with the lack of sound, I crumble into a ball and mentally collapse, but at my own demise. While some people do prefer background noise to keep them engaged or motivated, it can encourage poor habits and distractions from a meditative state.

I think the choice of music or no music during these tasks can be optional. However, ditch the TV series at all costs.

Appreciate the "In-Between"

In moving meditation, there is no finish line, only the current motion. Instead of staring at the pile of dishes remaining, focus entirely on the one plate in your hand. Treat that single plate as if it were the most important object in the world. When it’s done, move to the next.

The Result: A Restored Home and a Restored Mind

When you finish a chore this way, you don't feel depleted; you feel centred. You haven't just cleaned your house; you’ve swept the "dust" off your own mental state.