5 Senses Exercise
Five Senses Exercise:
The goal of the 5 Senses Exercise is to practice being aware in the present moment throughout the day when a more formal mindfulness practice such as meditation or a body scan might not be practical.
Notice five things that you can see.
Cast your eyes around and bring your attention to five things you might not normally notice. No matter where you are, choose something you wouldn’t ordinarily pay attention to, like a shadow, a shape or color or a small crack in the concrete.
Notice four things that you can feel.
Bring your awareness to four things you are currently feeling, like the texture of your pants, the feeling of the breeze on your skin, or the smooth surface of a table you are resting your hands on.
Notice three things that you can hear.
Try to tune in to the sounds of your surroundings. What can you hear in the background? This might be a bird singing, the low hum of the refrigerator, other voices from a nearby class or the faint sounds of traffic from a nearby road.
Notice two things that you can smell.
Tune your senses into smells you might usually gloss over, whether they’re pleasant or unpleasant. Perhaps the breeze is carrying the scent of pine trees if you’re outside, or the smell of cafe from the sidewalk.
Notice one thing that you can taste.
Focus on one thing you can taste right now, in this moment. You can take a sip of coffee, savor some chocolate, eat something, notice the current taste in your mouth, or even open it to search the air for a taste.
Now take 3 easy breaths and off you go to your next activity. Try the exercise throughout the day when you are in different settings or when you need to refocus and center yourself.
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