In this part talk,
Part mindfulness practice and reflection,
We will focus on activating the senses.
This powerful mindfulness technique can quickly get you out of your busy thinking mind and into the sensate world of your body and heart.
Activating your senses can reduce experiences of stress or anxiety.
It can help you relax and come back to center.
It can provide you with real opportunities for pleasure in the present moment.
Before we begin our mindfulness practice of engaging our senses,
I would like to explore some of the differences between thinking and sensing.
Firstly,
These two modes use different parts of the brain.
Thinking results in fast,
Erratic,
Beta brain waves and sensing results in the slower,
More rhythmic,
Alpha brain waves.
Sensing more often than not serves to relax you,
Whilst thinking arouses your brain and body.
Over the long term,
Spending too much time in thinking mode and too little time in sensate mode results in an activation of the stress response in you.
Research suggests that we only spend about two or three minutes per hour in sensate mode.
The rest of the time is spent thinking.
Whilst thinking has benefits,
The sensate world is where you experience real pleasure.
Really enjoying the taste of food,
Hearing the laughter of your family and friends,
Feeling the warmth of an embrace,
Noticing the breeze on your skin.
These are the experiences that reduce stress,
Cultivate calm,
Sharpen the edges of the present moment and contribute to your overall well-being and happiness.
So taking a moment now to settle into a comfortable position.
Giving yourself permission to settle in,
There is nowhere else you need to be right now.
Moving our attention towards our sight,
Inviting you now to cast your eye around the space you are in,
Noticing colours,
Textures,
Shapes,
Shadows,
Noticing details big and small,
Being curious.
If your mind has wandered,
Don't worry.
Offer your thoughts what they need and when it feels right for you,
Gently bring your awareness to the details of the space you are in.
Have you noticed something new?
Through this mindful awareness,
Have you been able to see something with fresh eyes?
Moving now to hearing,
Inviting you to become aware of the sounds around you,
Initially noticing sounds far off in the distance.
Gradually drifting towards the sounds closer to you,
Nothing to do,
Just noticing,
Letting the sounds come to you.
Can you broaden your awareness to take in all the sounds both near and far?
Noticing the beginning and end of sounds,
Noticing the moments of silence.
Is your body making any sounds?
What has surprised you about really focusing your attention on your sense of hearing?
Moving now to hearing,
Taking some time to notice where your body comes in contact with the surface that supports it.
Perhaps you can feel your legs where they come in contact with the chair,
Your head as it rests on a pillow or the floor.
Bringing your attention now to your breath,
Can you notice its touch as it enters your nose?
How would you describe its touch?
Warm,
Cool,
Soft,
Strong,
Gentle.
Spending some time now being curious about other experiences of touch for you,
The touch of clothes on your skin,
The touch of oxygen moving through your body.
Are you being touched by relaxation,
By feelings of spaciousness and ease?
Now as a way of engaging your sense of smell and taste,
I invite you to spend some time picturing a bowl of fruit in your mind.
In this bowl of fruit are all sorts of delicious,
Colorful,
Flavoursome fruits.
Winter fruits,
Tropical fruits,
Summertime fruits.
Can you see them all?
Noticing now if there is one fruit in particular that you are drawn to.
In your mind,
Picking it up,
Holding it,
Examining its details big and small.
Noticing the feel of it in your hand,
Its weight,
Its texture.
When you are ready,
Gently bringing it up to your nose,
Taking a nice deep breath in.
What does it smell like?
Noticing how this smell makes you feel.
If you would like,
Please take a bite.
Being curious about its taste,
Its texture.
How would you describe it?
Staying with this experience of taste for a little longer.
Slowly bringing your awareness now to your breath.
Noticing the way your body is being breathed.
Allowing this experience of activating your senses to seep through you,
To sink in,
To settle.
How would you describe the qualities of your thoughts right now,
After this experience of engaging your senses?
No right or wrong,
Just noticing.
Noticing the quality of your thoughts right now.
Allowing this experience of engaging your senses.
No right or wrong,
Just noticing.
When you feel your stress levels rising,
Your thoughts becoming too busy,
Or you are just generally feeling distracted or overwhelmed.
Making a conscious decision to activate your senses can help cultivate calm and bring you back to the present moment.
You can do this at work,
At home,
On your own or in the company of others.
This simple yet powerful mindfulness practice is available to you anywhere,
Anytime.
Perhaps you will be drawn to the experience of really tasting food,
Noticing texture and subtle flavours.
You may find sensate moments in nature,
Noticing the changing seasons,
A salty sea breeze,
Dappled sunlight,
The smell of freshly cut grass.
Will you be drawn to really being present when you communicate at work and at home,
Giving people your full attention,
Noticing emotions,
Noticing facial expressions?
Perhaps you will focus on activating your senses whilst you exercise,
Whilst you cook,
When you spend time with friends.
Opportunities for entering the sensate world are endless.
Spending some time now thinking about which of your senses you are most naturally drawn towards.
Taking a few more moments now to think creatively about ways you could activate your senses during your days.
Offering yourself a gentle commitment now relating to entering the sensate world a little more often.
Sealing this commitment with three breaths.
Enjoying the sensations present in this experience.
Remembering now that activating your senses involves attention,
Curiosity and sustained focus.
As with any mindfulness practice,
It will offer you great pleasure and joy the more you practice.
When you are ready,
Noticing the feel of your body as it meets the surface that supports you.
Enjoying some gentle movement.
Opening your eyes to the world of sight.
May your day be filled with opportunities to engage with your senses.
