Throughout our day-to-day activities we tend fall into routines and start to lose our awareness. Do you take time to really see, listen, feel, taste and smell?
One of my favorite mediation tools is bringing attention to one or all of the five senses. Throughout the day there are plenty of opportunities, especially during the mundane tasks, where we tend to get distracted with other thoughts or plans. While driving turn off the radio, feel the steering wheel between your hands, keep your eyes on the road. Mindfully eat a meal, savor each bite. While washing your hands feel the warmth of the water, look at the suds of soap on your skin, smell the scent of the soap. While doing laundry feel the texture of the fabric, the smell of detergent, the noise of a tumbling dryer. Look at a piece of artwork hung up on a wall, a flower, or take notice of a certain color and the objects around you that contain it. Listen to the bird’s chirp, the humming of a fan, the sound of rain. Sit with a coffee, feel the warmth between your hands, smell the aroma, notice the subtle tastes within the roast.
Below is a quick five-minute mediation. I invite you to spend one-minute meditating on each of the five senses. Remember it is not about the length, but consistency! Mindfulness is a practice, a skill that can be sharpened. Start small, schedule a five-minute period in your day, set a daily reminder or alarm.
Begin by bringing awareness to your body, take note of how your body is being supported, whether by furniture or by the earth. Feel the connection and the touching points of this support and the body. What do you feel? Can you make any adjustments to feel more at ease? Start to scan for areas of tension within the body, relax the jaw, soften your forehead, let the eyebrows relax, notice if you are rounding your shoulders, roll them up back and down, elongate your spine. Follow the flow of breath as it moves through your body. Taking an intentional breath through the nostrils fill the lungs completely with air, pause at the top of the breath and with a soft exhale release the breath out the mouth. Do this a few times until you feel settled into your space. Feel the connection of your lips as they seal. Allowing the breath to flow through the nostrils. Bringing awareness to the temperature of the air, the coolness of an inhale, the warmth of an exhale.
Take a moment to observe your surroundings bringing your sight to focus (Drishti) on a singular object that catches your attention, notice its shape, color, texture and size.
Taking a moment to listen, focusing on the sound of your breath, your heartbeat. Noticing the other noises in your surrounding area, voices, music, traffic, nature allow them to fade into the background of your mind.
Take some time to notice any smells, plants, trees, incense, food, coffee, perfume. If you are having trouble with this sense closing the eyes can allow sense of smell to sharpen.
Bringing awareness to your tongue, noticing the sensation of taste. Whether it’s a lingering taste, toothpaste, beverage or maybe something you are currently eating. If you are having trouble with this sensation maybe just notice the saliva or run your tongue across your teeth or the roof of your mouth.
Slowly return back to your space. Keeping the senses at the forefront of your mind as you resume your day.
Namaste.
- Mark Meise