Come to Your Senses

When life pulls you out into a storm, your self-preservation kicks in to help protect you from harm. If you live in a time of war or are facing an animal in the wild, your brain is there to help you. However, if you are living in a time and place where your actual safety is generally not at issue, your brain is still on edge looking out for the danger. In these moments, the adrenaline in your system makes it hard for you to be present in a way that can soothe you from the worry you feel. If this happens a lot, the anxiety in your body causes damage both physically and emotionally.

This is the premise behind the idea of mindfulness. When you can be here, now, in this moment, you are not clinging to worries about the future or troubles from the past. My clients tell me that by doing the exercises that involve tuning into their 5 senses, they are best able to connect to the present moment in themselves and the world around them. There are many effective ways of being present, but by coming to your senses, you can easily have a variety of focal points for your mindful practice.

Attempt to engage your senses on a deep level, avoiding labeling objects per se. Rather, go deeper and experience your senses fully.

• I see the light coming through the lightly streaked window creating reflections on the mug in its path.

• I hear the car driving quickly by on the street where there is a dog barking a warning to those going by.

• I feel the weight of my legs and feet pressing my sole onto the hard wooden table.

• I smell the clean and fresh scent of the lavender detergent in my clothes.

• I taste the sweet and yet sour tang of the juicy orange as I bite down on the bitter membrane around the inner pulp.

As you engage in mindfulness practice, thoughts and feelings will come to your consciousness. This is the way of the brain. Try not to struggle with these experiences. Notice them. Notice how they affect you, in your body. Resume your mindfulness and return to your senses.

I offer this very simple yet effective example of the Five Senses practice at the top of this post. Feel free to download it here and other resources through the link for yourself or to share with those around you.

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Counseling with Leigh Anne - a Teachers Pay Teacher store offering materials for mindfulness practice, expressive arts, and therapeutic approaches like ACT/CBT.