A 6-Minute Mindful Pause: A Sensory Grounding Practice

Take six minutes to step out of the "doing" mode of your day and into a state of "being." This guided mindful pause uses the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory grounding technique to help you reconnect with the present moment, reduce anxiety, and settle your nervous system. Whether you are feeling overwhelmed, stuck in a loop of worry, or simply need a midday reset, this practice guides you back into the here and now.

Transcript

Welcome to this five minute mindful pause. If you're feeling like you just want to drop into the body just now I invite you to close your eyes, Maybe lower your gaze. Take deep breaths. Down into the bottom of your ribcage. Just feeling that expansion there. And as you release, Allowing your shoulders to soften. Allowing your back to soften. Allowing the mind to slow down. With each breath. Expanding that sense of space within. And each out breath softening just a little bit more. Just noticing the sounds coming through. Nature. Any animals, Any winds. Also noticing. The feelings and sensations of the clothes on your skin. Maybe the surface beneath you is soft, Maybe it's solid. Just noticing that. The surface areas. Covering or touching the body. Being mindful of those deep breaths. Slowly inhaling in and softening when breathing out. Bringing your attention back to those sounds. Those sensations. Also notice any scent you can pick up in the air. In the space you're in at the moment. As you're breathing in through the nose, Inhaling Just sensing. Any scent or fragrance there. The presence or absence of. And is the air warm or is it cool? Is it dry or is it moist? And noticing still the breath filling the lungs. And the muscles softening with each out-breath. Softening More and more. As you continue to. . . Be mindful of everything coming in through the senses. And if you haven't yet tuned in to. . . The taste. Maybe any flavours. For many think that you've eaten all. Had a drink of recently. Is there anything that still lingers there? Any sweetness, Any sourness. The presence or absence of any particular taste. And if it feels very faint, What would it be to dilate up a little bit? Is it different at the front of the mouth compared to the back? And noticing where your attention goes to which sense. As you continue to take in those deep breaths and soften out breaths as being present now with whatever is there in the foreground for you. And if your gaze is lowered. Your eyes are closed, Just notice what comes up. What you see internally. Or externally. Noticing the vibrancy of colors. Noticing the shapes that form. I'm not trying to change it, Like it or dislike it, Just acknowledging. Bringing your attention to how it is. In that moment. And when you're ready we're going to slowly come back to to ruin the space. As we slowly And this mindfulness practice, Taking in that deep breath one last time here. Breathing out, I invite you to stretch. Maybe lay down or just wriggle your hands, Fingers, Toes. Just to bring that wakefulness back into the room. And transition into the rest of your day ahead. Thank you for joining me today. Thank you for making this time for yourself as well, To hold the space for whatever it is that showed up for you.