Everything we experience in life enters our mind and body through one or more of our senses.
This meditation is to help us refine and develop our senses so that we can more fully appreciate and enjoy life and the world around us.
Please sit comfortably and close your eyes.
Take a few deeper breaths.
Allowing your body and mind to begin to settle.
Let go of anything that's not important for the next few minutes.
We'll start with the sense of hearing.
Be aware of the sounds outside the room you're in.
The most distant sounds you can hear.
Now any sounds just outside the room.
Be aware of any sounds around you in the room.
Bring your awareness into your body.
What sounds can you hear in your body?
Maybe your heartbeat.
Or the sound of your breathing.
Now all of the sounds,
Near or far,
Choose one and be totally aware of it.
Not analyzing or judging.
Just complete awareness.
Now the sense of touch.
Be aware of your body touching the chair floor where you're sitting.
Be aware of all the points where your body touches the chair floor.
Be aware of the hardness or the softness of the chair floor.
Be aware of your clothes touching your skin,
Their texture.
Have awareness of your upper lip touching the lower one.
Your upper eyelid touching the lower eyelid.
The sense of touch also relates to feelings.
Be aware of your emotions and how you're feeling right now.
Without judging or evaluating.
Be totally aware of how you're feeling.
Now say it.
Without moving your body,
Very gently open your eyes.
Just moving your eyes,
Slowly look around the room,
Pausing at different objects.
Don't evaluate them.
Simply look at them with detachment.
Now choose one object in front of you.
Allow your focus to become soft.
So the rest of the room fades.
Gaze at this object with your full attention.
Still without judgment.
Notice everything about this object.
And shape.
And size.
Color,
And so on.
Please close your eyes again.
Next.
Will move to taste.
What can you taste in your mouth?
Slowly move your tongue around your mouth.
Are there different tastes?
Don't evaluate.
Just taste.
Move your tongue over your lips.
Is there a different taste here?
Choose one of the tastes.
And focus your whole attention on it.
Finally,
The sense of smell.
What are you smelling in the room?
Maybe move your head slightly from side to side.
Can you detect different aromas?
Without opening your eyes,
Raise one hand to your nose.
Smell the back of your hand.
Now the palm.
Do you notice a difference?
Now focus on the strongest of the smells,
Just being totally with that smell.
Now imagine you are eating a wonderful tropical fruit.
Maybe a mango,
Papaya.
Or whatever tastes good to you.
In your imagination.
See the fruit in front of you,
Its size and shape.
Now smell its aroma.
As you bite into the fruit.
Taste its sweetness as it reaches your tongue.
Feel its texture and hear the sounds as you chew and swish it around in your mouth.
Now bring all your senses together and have a total sensory experience of the fruit.
Nothing exists except this fruit.
Now letting go of the image of the fruit.
Take a few deeper breaths.
When you are ready.
Please open your eyes slowly.
During the day,
Pause once in a while and focus as many of your senses as possible on what's in front of you.
You can do this at mealtime,
When walking in nature,
Or even in the city.
Being more fully aware of your senses allows you to heighten your experiences and also to be more discerning with the information you take in.
Namaste.
