How often do we walk through our everyday life using all of our five senses. Not just on our sight and hearing, but also our taste, our smell and our touch?
In this guided meditation, I would like to invite you to activate all of your 5 senses so that you can immerse yourself in the elements around you deeply and fully. This is an invitation to you to slow down and be more present.
I often use this meditation before a photo shoot, and it has been part of my creative practice. It allows me to immerse myself into the environment, calming my busy mind and open myself to whatever comes along the way. So basically, what we do is an open awareness meditation.
You can incorporate this or integrate this meditation into your creative practice, but there are different situations where you can benefit from this mindfulness exercise. When you're feeling stressed or anxious or overwhelmed by your emotions, this meditation will help you to paus, breathe and reflect so that you can guide yourself to your inner being and through your senses you can process what's going on inside you and around of you.
And as we connect with our body, we can have a different experience - we can transform these events and sensations. This allows us to develop a deeper sense of self, self-awareness and resilience.
The meditation practice
Meditating has many benefits, but it’s important to remember that we are doing our best. During meditation, thoughts will arise and distract us, and that's totally normal. It’s just what our mind does. The key is to refocus on our breath and reconnect with ourselves.
Preparing for Meditation
Find a Comfortable Space: Ideally, meditate outside in nature, but we can also do this at home. You can stand or sit, depending on your preference.
Adopt a Balanced Position: Ensure our posture is relaxed yet upright. Imagine a thread attached to the back of our head, gently pulling our body upward, while we feel the earth beneath us, grounding us.
Engaging the Senses
1. Breath Awareness:
- We take a deep breath in through our nose and out through your mouth.
- We close our eyes and focus on our breath flowing in and out, filling you with fresh air.
2. Sound:
- With our eyes closed, we focus on the sounds around us.
- Notice if you hear birds, wind in the trees, waves, city sounds, or any other noise. Simply observe without judgment.
3. Touch:
- Focus on the sensations on your skin. Is the weather warm or cold? Humid or dry?
- Feel the wind, the sun's rays, the ground beneath you. Explore these tactile experiences without judgment.
4. Smell:
- Notice the scents around you. If you're in nature, you might smell trees or flowers. If in the city, the smells will differ.
- Simply observe the smells without trying to label them as good or bad.
5. Taste:
- Pay attention to the taste in your mouth. Is it bitter, sweet, sour, or salty?
- Reflect on what these tastes mean to you, observing without judgment.
6. Sight:
- Finally we open our eyes gently and look around. Find objects that catch your interest, whether visually pleasing or not.
- Observe these objects as they are, without critique.
Concluding the Meditation
Deep Breaths:
- Take another deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Body Stretch:
- Stretch your body, shake your shoulders, and gently bring yourself back to your daily activities.
Conclusion
By incorporating this sensory meditation into your routine, you can enrich your creative practice and enhance your overall well-being. This practice not only calms the mind but also deepens self-awareness, allowing you to navigate life's challenges with greater resilience and presence.
Becoming aware of our five senses