Think of the moments when beauty has stopped you in your tracks,
On holiday,
Wandering through unfamiliar streets,
Walking in vast landscapes,
Standing before a painting,
Watching a sunset,
Or looking up into a dark sky scattered with stars.
These moments when something simple becomes suddenly luminous and you feel a quiet sense of awe.
Yet,
In the rhythm of everyday life,
Most of us forget to pause.
We rush past the small wonders woven into the ordinary.
But beauty is here too,
Resting in the mundane,
Waiting to be noticed.
It doesn't require the extraordinary.
It simply requires us to look differently.
Welcome to Everyday Awe,
A guided practice of awareness in the present moment.
Thanks for joining me.
Let's begin by settling into where you are right now.
You may choose to dim the lights a bit to encourage softness,
Close your eyes,
Or perhaps simply lower your gaze,
Whatever feels most comfortable for you,
And bring your awareness to your breath as you breathe in and out.
You may want to breathe a bit more deeply a few times as a way to help you focus on your breath,
And then bring your awareness to any sounds you can hear both close by and in the room you are in,
And then further away.
Notice them and be curious.
Try to accept them for what they are without judging them.
Allow your shoulders to drop.
Feel the weight of your body supported beneath and behind you.
Take a slow breath in and a slow breath out.
Now,
In a moment,
You will slowly open your eyes again without raising your gaze.
You can do so now,
And look at a small area that is immediately in front of you.
It could be the floor,
A desk,
Literally anything.
Be curious about what you're looking at,
However mundane,
Ordinary,
Or familiar it may be.
You're looking at it as if you were seeing it for the first time,
As a young child might with a beginner's mind.
And slowly consider what colors do you see.
You may see one color or lots of colors.
What shades and tones of the same color do you see?
What textures do you see?
Is what you're looking at soft or hard,
Rough or smooth?
Are there any shapes or patterns?
And what is happening to the light?
Are there any areas that are lighter or darker?
Maybe there are shadows or even reflections.
Let it hold your attention as if you were seeing it for the very first time.
Notice its details.
Its shape.
Its color.
Its edges.
And how it makes you feel.
See if you can soften any urge to label it or judge it as ordinary.
Just let it be what it is.
Let it refeel itself to you.
Allow yourself to become enchanted.
See the beauty.
Maybe feel some awe.
Allow it to have meaning and value.
Beauty often hides in plain sight.
But the more we rest with something,
The more alive it becomes.
Let it be what it is.
Hold this moment of quiet seeing for a few more breaths.
And now repeat this activity looking at the whole room or space that you're in.
Imagine that you are a young child who has just come into the room for the first time.
You're full of curiosity and you're excited to explore this new space.
Look at the colors.
Textures.
Patterns.
The light.
Shadow.
Reflections.
Feel free to get up and move around the room mindfully,
Looking and seeing as if for the first time.
You can even pause this audio as you choose to do so.
And when you are feeling ready,
Gently bring your attention back to yourself.
Notice how you feel.
Notice the shift that can come from simply seeing with softer eyes.
And ask yourself,
What did noticing this small thing awaken in you?
Think about the day or the days ahead and an ordinary place that you will be.
Maybe it's in your kitchen or it's on your commute.
Maybe it's your desk or even your bathroom mirror.
Picture that space in your mind's eye and see yourself moving through it just as you normally would.
And now imagine that in that space you pause,
You soften your attention,
And you allow yourself to notice one small point of beauty.
Maybe it's the reflection on a spoon or the way the sunlight bends across a countertop.
Or maybe it's a sound such as the sound of water running from a tap.
Whatever it is,
Notice it.
Let it enchant you,
Even just for a brief moment.
Beauty doesn't need to be extraordinary.
It simply asks us to notice,
To be present.
If your eyes are not already closed,
I invite you to gently close them again.
Take another breath here and silently say to yourself,
Today,
I will let one small,
Ordinary thing reveal its beauty to me.
Hold that thought gently as a companion for the rest of your day.
When you are ready,
You can take one last deep breath in through your nose.
Let it go with a sigh,
And slowly bring yourself back to the room,
The space that you're in.
If your eyes are closed,
You can open them gently.
Notice how you feel.
Notice what's shifted.
And remember,
Enchantment is always closer than you think.
It's waiting in the everyday.
Thank you once again for being here and for your participation in this everyday awe.
