Come To Your Senses
The Dalai Lama once said that the biggest problem with Western civilization can be summed up in three words: “Lost in thought.” I think we can all relate. In a world that constantly pulls us in a million different directions, being in - never mind staying in - the present moment can feel like an impossible task. So how do we navigate our way back to the here and now?
If you have ever found yourself lost in thought, you will notice that the present moment has become a bit of a blur. A classic example of this is when you are driving and you arrive at your destination without a clear memory of your journey. You have a vague sense of how you got there, but you can’t recall actually seeing the road or noticing the details of your surroundings en route. You might even let out a little sigh of relief that your natural reflexes got you there safely while your mind was gallivanting about.
When we are “lost in thought", our minds have usually cartwheeled off into the future or back-flipped into the past, and commonly it is a harrowing mixture of the two. We ruminate, often quite vividly, about things gone by and things to come. As a result, the present moment literally dulls. It becomes a blur. One simple way to transport ourselves back into the here and now, and bring the lights back up on our moment-to-moment experience, is to connect with our senses.
Right now, wherever you are, take a moment to sense the touch of your chair or whatever you are sitting or resting on.
Perhaps notice your feet, the texture of your clothing and the temperature of the air on your skin. See if you can tune into the details and colors of what you are looking at, even the shapes of these letters you are reading. Can you become fully aware of the layers of sound all around you - the obvious sounds and the more subtle ones? Maybe you can notice a distinct scent on the air, or a faint taste in your mouth. Notice how you feel as you are doing this.
The beauty of this simple exercise of coming to your senses is that you can do it anywhere. You don’t need special equipment or a silent room. You can practice it seated in meditation or while you are moving through your yoga poses. But you can also be at your desk, walking in nature, having a conversation, watching a film, driving in traffic or waiting in line. Wherever you are, your senses are there for you, like a spring board just waiting to gently bounce you into the sparkling pool of the present.
That’s all very well, you might say. But what if my mind keeps dragging me out of that sparkling pool and tossing me into the stratosphere of the future and the vortex of the past?
To which I say, no problemo! Once you notice you have become lost in thought, first remember that it happens to all of us. We wander off, we come back. That, in essence, is the practice. Then take a moment to observe where you ended up. That moment when you "come to" and realize you got lost is a moment of insight that helps us understand what is on our minds. Whether it is a recent event, something many miles away, a dull thought or perhaps a highly charged one, see if you can refrain from passing judgement. Simply notice where you scampered off to, and then gently bring your attention back to something - anything - in your sensory field. You will be amazed by how many details are happening in your present moment experience when you start to tune in.
Ellen J. Langer, a professor of psychology at Harvard University and the author of twelve books on mindfulness said, “We know from more than forty years of research that mindfulness is literally and figuratively enlivening.” When we focus our minds on what we are feeling, hearing, seeing, smelling, and tasting, the present moment literally comes alive and we, in turn, start to feel more alive. In coming to our senses, we are also coming back to ourselves.
So next time you find yourself lost in thought or feeling overwhelmed, pause, take a breath and tune into your senses. See if you can gently coax yourself out of the chaotic swirl of thoughts and take a mindful dip into the vivid reality of now.
For a FREE 9 minute meditation on the senses, play the video below.
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