Welcome to today's meditation.
Today we will be doing a meditation on our senses in which you will go through all five of your senses and focus on them in this moment.
This is a meditation that is done well outside or in a different environment but can also work if you're in the same space you always meditate in.
So let us close our eyes or cast our gaze softly in front of us.
Let's sit up straight,
Their spine in alignment,
Our head up high.
If you're sitting in a chair uncross your legs and plant your feet firmly on the ground so that we may be connected.
Let's begin by,
As we always do,
By focusing on our breath.
Breathing in and out normally.
There's no need to change your breath but to simply focus it on it and notice it.
Where do you feel it as it comes into your nostrils,
Down your throat,
And into your lungs?
Do you feel your diaphragm expand and then contract,
Pushing the air back out your nose?
Let's take a moment to focus on our breathing,
Noticing all the ways in which we feel it.
In and out.
In and out.
Now we begin with our senses.
We will start with our sense of hearing.
Begin to notice what it is you hear in your environment now.
Perhaps you are inside.
You just hear the din of a refrigerator or the air conditioner.
Maybe you are outside.
You can hear the birds chirping,
The rustle of the leaves on the trees.
Perhaps you can hear the sounds of traffic,
Cars going by on the streets.
Maybe there is a gentle chatter of children playing nearby.
Hear those things in this moment.
Perhaps there are loud noises like a car horn or siren.
Hear those things now.
Do not focus too much on the stories behind them.
Where is that siren going?
What game are those children playing?
But just hear those things in this present moment,
Non-judgmentally acknowledging them.
Let's take a moment to notice the things we hear.
Now we will move to our sense of smell.
What is it you smell around you?
Perhaps it is the incense or candle you are burning.
Maybe there are some fresh cooked foods,
Fresh baked cookies.
Perhaps you are outside and you can smell the flowers,
The pollen in the air.
Maybe there's an unpleasant smell near you.
Whatever it is you are smelling,
Whatever scents are coming in with your breath,
Acknowledging them.
Acknowledge them.
Again,
Don't focus too much on the story they are telling.
Just notice them for what they are,
Non-judgmentally in this moment.
Connected to our sense of smell is our sense of taste.
Focus on what it is you taste right now.
Is it perhaps this morning's toothpaste or cup of coffee?
Maybe is our last meal?
Or maybe we can taste the air.
Perhaps there is some crispness,
Crispness of a beach.
We can taste the weather changing.
Maybe a storm is coming in.
Again,
Focus on what you are tasting.
Not the stories behind them.
Not what happened to bring them there.
Just how they taste in this moment.
Let's now spend a moment on your taste.
Now we'll move to the sense of sight.
I would ask you to gently open your eyes and gaze directly in front of you.
Do not spend too much time looking around,
But just see what is right in front of you.
Perhaps you are in the same room you are in all the time,
But maybe now focus a little more on the color of the wall.
You may see some repairs that need to be done.
Notice them for what they are.
Don't get all worried about all the ways in which you can fix them.
See that crack in the wall,
That crooked picture,
The shade,
The color of your wall,
For what it is non-judgmentally in this moment.
Perhaps you are outside.
You can see the beautiful foliage.
Maybe there are some animals,
Birds,
Squirrels,
Chipmunks,
Or maybe some other people walking by.
Again,
See them in this moment.
Acknowledge them for what they are right here,
Right now,
Reserving any judgment we have towards what it is we are seeing.
Let's spend some time acknowledging what our eyes are bringing us.
Now let's turn to our sense of touch.
You may gently close your eyes again or softly gaze in front of you.
We will move on to the sense of touch.
What is it now that your skin is feeling?
Is it a breeze of the wind or maybe the air conditioning in your room,
In your space?
Maybe it is humid out and your skin feels sticky.
What are you feeling in this moment?
Could you be feeling heat or coolness or the material of the seat you are sitting on?
Spend a moment feeling things with your skin,
Acknowledging them in this moment.
As we come to the end of the meditation here,
You have spent some time focusing on your senses,
All the ways in which your body gets information to your brain.
Then with your brain you have noticed them,
Acknowledged them,
Hopefully not judged them.
So as you go through your day,
Your week,
Remember that our senses can bring us great joy and sorrow and fear and delight,
But that they are just ways in which we process information.
When we are conscious of that information that we are processing,
We notice it without judgment,
We can process it in a more compassionate and joyful manner,
Not allowing it to sneak up on us.
So as you go from this place,
From this meditation,
As you rise up soon,
Know that your senses are not here to deceive you,
But to help you navigate this world.
Acknowledge them,
Thank them,
Use them.
Friends,
Thank you for your practice.
