Ever wonder what all the talk about mindfulness is about?
The simplest way to explain mindfulness is that you live with awareness. The definition of aware is having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact. For me, to be aware means that you stop and take notice of the present moment as many times as you allow yourself to, during the rushing and tugging of your day to day life.
To be mindful, means using your mind to get in touch and connect with all of your five senses at any point in time with the intention of experiencing a moment with complete and full presence.
See…Hear…Touch…Smell…Taste. Seems so simple, but for most people these things go unnoticed because they are such a basic part of being alive that we take them for granted.
During my counseling groups, I encourage the practice of gratitude by asking clients to keep a gratitude journal as a way to train their brain to focus and take notice of things that they appreciate. Sometimes I’ll begin the group by saying “Okay, let’s all find 3 things to be grateful for besides our eyes, ears, and legs”. I usually get a few chuckles because let’s be honest, when was the last time you woke up giving thanks for being able to see, hear, and walk?
A Buddhist center down the street from where I live offers all kinds of meditation classes, retreats, and workshops on practicing mindfulness. One of the first times, I heard and learned about what it meant to be mindful was after a meditation sitting where everyone in the room was handed a tangerine. I would like to share this experience and walk you through a simple mindfulness exercise that you can practice just about anywhere and apply to just about anything you do on a daily basis:
1. Touch- Hold the tangerine in your hand and take notice of how it feels. Is it cold, warm or at room temperature? What does its skin feel like? Is it soft, hard or squishy?
2. Smell- Bring the tangerine up to your nose with eyes and mouth closed and simply smell. What does it smell it like? Is it a strong citrus scent? Where does this scent take you? Does it remind you of anything?
3. Touch- Begin to slowly peel the tangerine watching how each piece of the skin begins to unpeel. Can you peel to make one long piece? Do you prefer to peel off small pieces one by one? Does the peel look like anything? Maybe a flower or something abstract?
4. Taste-Take each slice of tangerine, one by one, and place it in your mouth. Close your eyes and begin to chew. Take notice of how it feels on your tongue. Is it juicy? Is it sweet or sour? Are you enjoying this experience?
5. Smell- The tangerine has been eaten and the delicious smell is still on your hands. Smell them and feel gratitude for the delicious fruit you just savored.
This exercise of connecting your mind to all of your senses allows for greater connection of mind, body, and spirit. Now you know what it means to be mindful and why it matters. Go ahead, try it with your favorite fruit.