Hello my friend,
I'm glad you're here.
Today we are going to try a simple grounding technique called 5 4 3 2 1.
It's commonly used in mindfulness and anxiety management practices to help bring our attention away from the racing thoughts and back to the present moment through our five senses.
We will gently notice what we can see,
Feel,
Hear,
Smell and taste.
There is nothing complicated to learn and there is no right or wrong way to do it.
It's a simple way to pause and reconnect with what's happening right here and right now.
So let's begin!
Maybe you've had a busy day.
Maybe your mind has been jumping from one thing to another.
Or maybe you just need a little pause before moving on to whatever comes next.
Whatever brought you here,
You don't need to really do anything special.
You don't need to clear your mind or force yourself to relax.
Just give yourself these few minutes.
To be here.
Let's begin by taking a slow gentle breath in.
Breathing out.
One more time.
Breathe in.
And breathing out.
Now let's gently bring our attention to the world around us using our senses to help us arrive right here in the present moment.
FIRST Notice 5 things you can see.
Take your time.
Look around you.
Maybe it's the light coming through the window.
Or the color of the walls of your room,
A plant,
Maybe your hands,
Or something you haven't noticed before.
You don't need to look for anything specific or special.
Simply notice five things that are already here.
Now,
Notice four things you can feel.
Bring your attention to the sensations in your body.
Perhaps you can feel your feet touching the floor,
Or your body resting on the chair,
Or the fabric of your clothes against your skin.
Notice the places where your body makes contact with something.
Maybe the chair you're sitting on,
Maybe the mat,
The ground.
There is no need to change anything.
Just feel.
Now let's notice three things you can hear.
Listen to the sounds around you.
Maybe you can hear birds,
Or the traffic outside,
A fan,
My voice,
Or the quiet sound of your own breathing.
You don't need to name every sound.
Just let yourself listen.
And notice the three things you can hear.
Now let's notice two things you can smell.
Perhaps the air in the room.
Your perfume or something cooking nearby.
And if you can't notice any particle or smell right now,
That's completely fine.
Maybe in your memory,
Remember a favorite smell of yours,
A smell of your coffee or chocolate.
Just bring your attention to your sense of smell.
And stay curious here.
Finally,
Notice one thing you can taste.
Maybe you can still taste toothpaste in your mouth or the last thing you drank.
Or perhaps you can just notice the natural taste in your mouth.
Take a moment to notice whatever is there.
Now let go of your senses and notice how it feels to be here in this moment Maybe you feel calmer.
Or maybe you still have a busy mind?
Both is OK.
Our goal is not to make every thought disappear,
But to give yourself a chance to notice what's happening,
Rather than getting carried away by everything at once.
So let's take a slow breath in.
And gently breathe out.
One more breath in.
And breathe out.
You can return to this practice whenever life feels a little bit overwhelming,
Or when your thoughts are running ahead of you,
Or you just need a moment to pause.
Remember that you don't always need to change what's happening around you.
Sometimes we can begin by changing where we place our attention.
So before we end this recording,
Take one final comfortable breath in.
And now breathe it out.
And whenever you're ready,
Gently return to whatever comes next.
Stepping into your day with just a little bit more awareness.
