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Hello,
My name is Scott Langston and I'd like to welcome you to this short mindfulness exercise,
Which is part of an everyday mindfulness series looking at how we can build mindfulness activities into our daily routines so that mindfulness becomes something not that we do intentionally in terms of sitting down and meditating for half an hour,
But becomes something we infuse into things that we do on an everyday basis.
And today we're going to be briefly looking at doing the washing up.
Now this is probably not an activity that many of us look forward to with relish or that we pay particular attention to as we're doing it.
It tends to be seen as a chore that needs to be completed and we're relieved when it's done.
However,
Applying conscious intentional mindfulness to any task can help us to see elements of the task in a different way.
So if you have some actual washing up to do,
Then I would invite you to listen along as you do it or otherwise sitting still and visualising doing the washing up is also one way that you could approach this exercise.
The first thing that you're going to do is have a look at the washing up that needs doing and register the feelings in your body and the emotional reactions that you have to it.
This is not a time for judging.
Simply notice how you're feeling.
Notice where your thoughts go.
Take a couple of deep intentional breaths as you do this.
Next,
You might like to bring to mind the meal that produced this washing up.
Maybe the cooking process,
Maybe even the shopping process.
Consider the people that were fed and how that food contributed toward their well-being.
In this way,
You can perhaps view the washing up as the combination of a much larger process.
Feel the weight of your body in your feet where you're standing.
Notice your posture and begin to wash one item at a time.
Focus your attention on the specific feel of that object.
Notice its shape,
Its colour.
Notice the feeling of the water on your hands,
The temperature.
Notice the feeling of the soap on the surface of the object that you are washing.
Perhaps the feeling of a sponge in your hand.
Bring your attention to the object as you rinse it and as you put it carefully on the drainer and as you then bring your attention to the next object that you're going to clean.
Notice the object becoming cleaner.
Notice also any sounds that you are generating from your washing up or any other sounds that you can hear in the kitchen as you do this.
And then return your attention to the object you are washing.
Notice how your mind may well wander and become aware of bringing your mind back to the object that you are washing.
And each time you bring your mind back to the object that you are washing,
Take in a deep intentional breath to refocus yourself.
Maintain this state of attention to each individual item that you clean until your washing up is completed.
And then focus your attention on rinsing the bowl,
Rinsing and drying your hands.
Maybe even moving to drying up and putting away what you have washed.
Stay present for the whole of the process.
And when you are finally done,
Notice how you feel.
How do you feel in your body,
In your mind?
Are you aware of a feeling of achievement?
Or of relief?
Of calmness?
And consider how you might bring this kind of intentional mindfulness to other chores or activities that you will do during the day.
And who knows,
Maybe next time you will even look forward to doing the washing up.
