Hi,
Welcome to Grit.
Today we're going to focus on the five senses in our meditation.
A big part of mindfulness is noticing.
Noticing what's happening around us so we don't just get wrapped up in our minds.
When we focus on the external,
We give the internal some space to rest.
We give our minds a chance to slow down a bit.
And especially if we're fixating on an idea,
If we're chewing on something that we just can't let go of.
This is a perfect way to change the channel in our heads.
So take a moment to organize yourself.
Get as comfy as you can so that you're not distracted by any physical sensations.
Start with our sight.
Feel free to have your eyes open for this part or closed up to you.
If they're open and that feels right,
What are you looking at right now?
Specifically,
What is the scenery?
What are the objects?
Can we give them names?
It might be tricky to not attach a story to the objects.
So can we just label them?
Chair,
Plant,
Hanger,
Or maybe Tree,
Building,
Mountain.
Let's just see if we can stay in this place for a little bit without getting swept up in any stories.
I'll call you back when it's time.
Now,
How about smell?
What do you smell right now?
Is there a strong scent around you that you recognize?
Maybe something you haven't noticed and don't recognize?
Is it faint?
Or do you have to work hard to smell something?
Is it obvious?
Can you label it in your mind without attaching a narrative to it?
And once we've noticed the smell around us,
Maybe we focus on the air coming in and out through our nose.
Noticing when we smell it and when we don't.
Maybe noticing how the air feels as it's coming in and out of our nostrils.
Is it cool?
Is it warm?
Is it fresh?
Is it stale?
Just noticing.
Touch.
What is your body touching right now?
Are you on a chair?
The floor?
The grass?
How does each part of your body feel touching what it's touching?
Can you sink further into whatever it is you're on?
Can you let your hips sink into the mat or the chair or the grass?
Can you notice all the parts of your body that are touching the object?
Maybe it's your shoulder blade.
Maybe it's your back.
Maybe it's your arm.
Just notice,
Touch.
Taste.
Is there something you're tasting?
Are you noticing a coffee you just had?
Maybe it's the fresh toothpaste you used recently.
Maybe it's a caramel.
Your tongue has between 2,
000 and 4,
000 taste buds that can detect so many subtleties.
What are you noticing?
If you find your mind has wandered,
Just know that's natural and it's normal.
Maybe we just gently bring it back to whatever we're focusing on for now.
It's taste.
Or my voice.
Or the music.
Or your breathing.
What are the sounds that you hear right now?
Are there sounds other than this meditation inside the space that you're in?
What about sounds far away from your space?
Is there a sound in your head that's making noise?
What do you notice?
When you hear the sound of the piano,
Can you imagine it being played?
When you hear the music,
Is it slow?
Is it rhythmic?
Is it gentle?
Just take a few moments and just notice the sound.
Sometimes,
Taking a journey outside the mind can be so helpful when we're feeling overwhelmed.
Sometimes,
Focusing on something,
Anything other than the constant story fragments can give us just the break we need.
I'm going to leave you for the last minute to just enjoy the sound.
Thank you for being with us.
We'll see you next time.
