Hey everyone and welcome back to the 7x7 Mindfulness Challenge.
Each lesson introduces you to a one-minute practice that you can use just about anytime and anywhere to help bring more mindfulness into your work and your life.
We'll start by teaching you a little bit about each technique and then we'll go through our one-minute practice together.
And you can always come back to this lesson anytime you want a refresher.
On day four,
You learned the technique of guided imagery.
Today,
We'll lean into that space that we created around our stressful thoughts by using your senses to help stay grounded in the present.
Staying aware of the present moment is another fundamental building block of mindfulness.
Our minds are designed for fixing problems and creating stories.
Sometimes this can serve us really well,
But sometimes the mind's search for stories and solutions just makes us stressed out and anxious.
Connecting with your senses can help to redirect your mind away from solving and toward the present moment.
And this can give your mind and you a much-needed break.
We'll start by settling in to get the most benefit out of our short practice.
Take a second to get your body into a position where you feel comfortable and safe and there are no major distractions.
You can do anything else to make yourself a little more comfortable,
Like taking off your glasses or adding a sweater.
And closing your eyes is always optional.
So if it's comfortable for you,
Go ahead and let them drift closed.
Or if you'd rather keep your eyes open today,
You can still give them a little break by letting your gaze just rest gently somewhere in front of you.
Finally,
Remind yourself that you're here to take the next 60 seconds to be mindful.
So give yourself permission to put away any other items on your schedule and your to-do list just for one minute.
And now we'll get into our practice for using your senses.
This technique also has a little room for mindfulness customization.
You'll have the opportunity to choose one of your senses that resonates the most with you.
We'll give you some suggestions to get started.
And if you have a challenging or uncomfortable relationship with any of the senses we suggest,
You're absolutely invited to tune into the present moment using another sense that's more comfortable for you.
Then to finish the practice,
You can pick your favorite option or create a new one to help stay connected to the moment.
So we'll start by focusing on sound.
Take a moment to tune in to any sounds that you notice in the space around you.
Just gently bring your attention to anything that reaches your ears.
And then maybe choose one sound to focus on for as long as you can hear it.
And next you can try tuning into your sense of touch.
Focus on the feeling of any clothing that you're wearing against your skin.
Or pay attention to the temperature of the air around you.
And a third option,
Especially if you prefer mindfulness with your eyes open,
Is to tune into your sight and focus on one object in the space around you.
Notice every detail about it.
Look at its shape and its color.
And maybe notice a new thing that you haven't noticed about it before.
And now for the next minute of our practice,
Go ahead and pick one of the options above or use your own.
And if you find your mind starting to wander,
Just remind yourself that it's all a part of the practice.
Bring your attention gently back to your breath and just let your mind take a break from solving to rest in the present.
And now slowly start to relax your attention away from your senses and bring your awareness back into the space around you.
Let your eyes gently blink open if they were closed or gently bring your gaze back into focus if they were open.
Take a second to thank yourself for completing this minute of being mindful and notice how you feel now that this session is complete.
Congratulations for completing Day 5.
You're getting there.
Then tomorrow we'll explore a technique for you to start to influence your mood and your mindset.
We'll see you then.
