Welcome to this meditation on expanding the five senses.
Close your eyes if this is comfortable for you,
Or soften your gaze,
Allowing your body to relax and your breath to flow naturally.
Taking a moment here to tune into the natural rhythm of your breath.
Allow each inhalation and exhalation to center you.
With each inhale,
Draw in peace and stillness.
And with each exhale,
Release any tension you might be carrying.
Allow the rhythm of your breathing to regulate.
Pulling your inhale through your nose,
Your throat,
Your sides,
And eventually your belly.
As you breathe out,
Let the belly soften back until all your air is out and your body has softened.
As we steady the pace of our breathing,
We can also steady the rhythm of our minds.
With each breath,
Allow your body to relax more deeply,
Your mind to clear,
And your heart to open.
Feel yourself becoming more present with every moment.
We'll now start to tune in to our five senses.
Beginning with our sight,
Keep your eyes closed and start to notice what you can see behind your eyelid.
It could be the darkness behind your eyelid,
The subtle play of light.
See if you can make out any patterns or any images.
Or perhaps you would like to tune in to your mind's eye and begin to visualize an image of nature,
Like a tree or a flowing river,
The sky or the mountain,
The sun rising or setting.
Whatever you choose to focus on,
Acknowledge these images and then take a deep breath in.
And as you breathe out,
Let the images dissolve.
Begin to turn your awareness to your sense of hearing.
Allow all the sounds around you to come and go,
Placing your awareness on every sound you can hear.
And start now to notice the most distant sounds,
The faint or subtle sounds around you.
How far can you extend your sense of hearing?
What is the sound that is furthest away from you?
And now recognize any sounds that is closest to you.
Perhaps it's just the sound of your breathing.
What is the loudest sound that you can hear?
And what is the softest?
Now take a deep breath in through your nose.
And as you exhale,
Release these sounds and slowly start to tune your awareness into your sense of touch.
Place your awareness on the temperature of the air touching your skin.
Can you feel the sensation of your breath on the space just beneath your nostrils and above your top lip?
Is the air warm or is it cool?
Take note of the clothes resting on your body,
The support of the ground beneath you.
Notice these sensations and then take a deep breath in.
As you exhale,
Allow these sensations to fade away as we tune in to our sense of smell.
Notice if you can name any aromas around you.
They might be faint or strong.
It might be the scent of coffee or a candle or simply the smell of fresh air.
Acknowledge these scents.
Allow them to fill you.
And then take a deep breath in.
And on an exhale,
Allow them to dissolve.
Finally,
Bringing your awareness to your sense of taste.
Try to name even one thing that you can taste.
It could be the lingering taste of your toothpaste,
The freshness of water or even simply the natural taste in your mouth.
Take a deep breath in.
And as you exhale,
Allow all your senses to melt into the background and begin to visualize a warm light above your head.
This light is pure and filled with peace and tranquility.
As you inhale,
Visualize this light slowly descending upon you,
Starting at the crown of your head.
As the light touches your head,
Feel it replacing the sense of sight.
Your visualizations become enveloped in gentle brightness,
Leading you deeper into relaxation.
The light moves down,
Soothing your ears.
And as it does,
It replaces the sounds you've acknowledged with serene silence.
Listen to the silence as it deepens your state of calm.
The light gently flows,
Bringing its purity to your sense of smell.
The scents you've noticed are replaced by a refreshing sense of clarity and purity,
Drawing you closer to your inner self.
The light now reaches your mouth and as it does,
The taste fades into sweetness of life,
Leaving your sense of taste refreshed,
Neutral.
And finally,
The light descends over your skin,
Replacing the physical sensation with a sense of weightlessness.
Your awareness of touch fades to the background,
Leaving only stillness.
Your entire being now immersed in silence and awareness.
Sit in the space of stillness,
Enveloped by the white light for as long as you feel comfortable.
In the silence,
You are aware,
You are present and you are connected to your inner self.
When you're ready,
Gently bring your awareness back to your surroundings and carry the sense of calm and stillness with you as you slowly open your eyes.
