Exploration Of The Senses

Anchor yourself in the present moment with this quick and refreshing mindfulness break. Take a tour of your senses, feel into the world around you and your own perception of it, and bring yourself firmly into the NOW through conscious noticing.

Music composed by Narek Mirzaei (Music Of Wisdom)

Cover photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

Transcript

Take a mindfulness break with me. No need to close your eyes, Adjust your seat, Or do anything special for this one, Friends. For these next few moments, I want you to simply stop. Notice your surroundings. What do your senses pick up first? What grabs your attention? As you take in your surroundings, Try not to judge what you perceive. It doesn't matter. For this little break, Simply allow yourself to notice. To come into the present moment, Here, Now, In this place. Let the thoughts come to you and pass by. Because we want to notice not what's in our mind, Because our minds are always busy, But with our senses, First bring your attention to your sight. What do you see? What is the quality and intensity of the light that surrounds you right now? If you move your eyes to scan your horizons, Side to side, Up and down, If you aren't uncomfortable doing so, You can turn your head, Bringing your eyes all the way to the corners of their sockets, Taking in all of what you're able to receive, Your whole field of vision. Try not to focus on anything right now. Just let yourself take in your surroundings through your peripheral vision, Through a scan. Don't hold onto it. Don't let it hold onto you. Now, Moving on to another one of your senses, What do you feel physically? Are you seated, Standing, Lying down? Where does your body come into contact with another surface? Is it soft or firm, Uneven, Uniform? What about the air around you? Our skin can feel so much. What is the temperature like? Do you feel moisture in the air, A breeze on your skin? Is it moving? Is it still? Breathe that air in now, Deep into your lungs, Through your nose. Do you smell anything as you take the air in? Are your surroundings familiar, Filled with the smells of home, Smells that you're accustomed to, Or are you someplace new to you, Where the scent on the air may surprise you? Does what you smell make you hungry, Maybe excite you, Call back a distant memory? Maybe there's even an unpleasant smell somewhere near you, And that's all right. Right now, We're just noticing. Noticing the things around you, Like what you can hear. Take a moment next to bring your awareness fully to the space that you're in. What can you hear near you, In the distance? Go ahead and listen. I'm going to take a slightly longer pause here and let you hear your surroundings beyond me. I'm going to interrupt your listening now. What did you notice in my absence? Was it quiet near you, Busy? Were the sounds that you heard man-made, Or was it nature? Could you feel or smell any of those sounds that you were hearing? Sometimes you may notice that our surroundings stimulate more than one sense at a time, Like when the sun warms your skin, But it also lights your surroundings so that you can see. And the breeze can carry the delicious smells of food, But you can also feel it brush against your skin and hear it rustling through the trees. Take a moment to notice all the different ways your senses are being activated by your surroundings right now. How many senses overlap from the same source? I'll leave you here with this thought. You can revisit your surroundings, Soak them in. Notice how many of your senses can work together at once. And you can revisit that feeling whenever you need it, Whenever you want to ground into yourself in the moment and into your body just a little bit more firmly. Happy noticing.