Mindfulness Boost This meditation is designed to give you a mindfulness boost that will help you to cultivate mindfulness through stressful times and reconnect you with the present moment.
In stressful times it is easy to get caught up with thinking in the future or past and forgetting about the value of the present moment.
But the more we are able to connect with what is and disconnect more from what will be or what was,
We start to open ourselves up for the power of the present moment.
When we feel overwhelmed we easily escape to the past or an ideal future that relieves us from stresses and difficulties we might have to face.
But by acknowledging that our present is the only time that really empowers us to act according to our ideal future or past,
We allow ourselves to create opportunities for change,
Empowering us to either accept our circumstances as they are or initiate change.
One of the best ways to engage with the now is to use our senses consciously as they are our gateway to observe the present moment.
So when you are ready,
Let's begin.
To start with find a space where you can sit up straight and comfortably.
It could be either on a chair or a cozy sofa.
You choose what feels right for you in this precise moment.
Simply make sure that you are not being disturbed for the next 15 minutes or so,
Which you set aside just for yourself.
I'd like you to take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.
Before you close your eyes I encourage you to look around in the room or space where you are.
What can you see?
Get familiar with your surroundings.
Use your eyes like a camera that goes from the left to the right,
Up and down.
Capturing all the space around you.
You can imagine that you would take a panorama picture and want to capture all that you can see in the most detailed way.
When you feel happy with your caption,
Look back to it and see if you can find something in your surroundings that attracts your attention the most.
Maybe it's something unusual,
Or maybe it's something very common.
Maybe it's something unfamiliar to you,
Or maybe you have seen it many times before.
Even though I encourage you to explore all its details.
It doesn't matter if it is an object,
Animal or part of nature.
Simply let yourself investigate it.
What is it shaped like?
Round?
Square-ish?
Or something completely else?
Which colors does it have?
Are they bright or rather soft?
Is it appealing to your eyes,
Or are you already looking out for something else that attracts your attention more?
You might notice how through taking a conscious approach and examining our present,
You allow yourself to become curious about what is.
Take another deep breath in and exhale slowly again.
You can close your eyes now,
Or let them open if you prefer,
But you might experience that with closed eyes it is easier to focus on your next sense.
Gently draw your attention to your olfactory sense.
What can you smell in this precise moment?
Don't try to seek to find a particular smell around you,
But let the smells come to you.
Which smell can you notice first?
How would you describe the smell?
Do you smell anything at all,
Or are you so used to the smells around you that you can't differentiate them?
Do you like what you smell,
Or would you like to change a particular scent around you?
What does the smell remind you of?
You might notice how exploring your surrounding with your olfactory sense may have changed the picture that you took before of what's around you,
Simply by focusing on something else.
When you feel like you explored your smells and your surroundings sufficiently,
Slowly come back to your breathing again.
Take another deep breath in and exhale slowly.
Now start to focus on what you can feel with your body.
Do you touch any surfaces in this precise moment?
Maybe you're sitting on a chair,
Floor or sofa.
How does that object on which you're sitting feel like?
Does it feel hard or rather soft?
Can you describe it as comfortable or rather uncomfortable?
Can you feel which parts of your body are touching the surface you're sitting on?
What about your feet?
Do your feet touch the ground,
Or are they tumbling in the air?
If you scan yourself slowly from the head to the toes,
Which parts of your body are not touching until something else?
When you narrow down some parts of the body that are not touching anything else,
How do they feel different to your other parts that are touching onto something else?
Allow yourself to really feel the space that you are in.
You might notice how by focusing on how and what you're feeling in your surroundings,
You become more aware of your overall bodily sensations.
Take one last deep breath in and exhale slowly.
You have now practiced being mindful of what is surrounding you and you can choose to do this anytime,
Anywhere.
Whenever you feel overwhelmed or stressed out,
Take a short pause to become aware of the present moment.
Slow down and become conscious of what is around you.
Allow yourself to become immersed in what you can see,
Smell,
Hear or touch.
Engage with your senses and allow yourself to practice mindfulness instead of mindfulness.
Whenever you are ready,
You can start to open your eyes again and come back to the space where you are.
