Mindful Mondays: New activity every Monday

[tyme]

Mindfulness of the Senses

Have you ever put your keys somewhere and forget where?

How many times have you had to ring your own phone because you can’t remember where you placed it?

When was the last time you really felt the water running down your back during a shower?

Many times, we are on auto-pilot - without even knowing it!

Focusing on our five senses (hearing, feeling, seeing, smelling and tasting) as part of mindfulness helps us slow down and live in the present moment.

When we do this, we can then use our body as a tool towards a greater awareness, balance and self-regulation of our emotions.

Let’s have a go at engaging our senses. This is the 5-4-3-2-1 Task.

1. Harness your mind and focus on the sounds you hear around you.
2. Name 5 sounds you hear.
3. Listen more closely. Name 4 MORE sounds you hear.
4. Listen even more closely. Name 3 MORE sounds you hear.
5. Challenge yourself! Name 2 MORE sounds you hear.
6. Lastly, name 1 MORE sound you hear.

@Judi9877 @Appleblossom @Codex1 @Gwynn @Anastasia @NatureLover @Daisydreamer @tyme @Snowie @Rhye @BPDSurvivor @Clawde @Shaz51 @Bow @Emelia8 @StuF @BlueBay @pinklollipop15 @Fluttershy1 @Ma60 @Spirit_Healer @BlueTrane @Jynx @mantaray @Krishna @mmarks1 @Jorge @AussieRecharger @Everan @Dimity @nony @Paperdaisy @flybluebird 

[Former-Member]

I like this one @tyme, thank you for sharing.

Do we need to notice new sounds each time, or is it okay to simply recount a previous sound if we don't hear any new ones? Sometimes it's pretty quiet around me so I could be at this for quite some time, not that that's a bad thing I guess if it means I'm being mindful 😊

[tyme]

Hi @Former-Member ,

Excellent question! It's definitely a DIFFERENT sound, colour, smell, touch, taste each time. That's the beauty of it. 

As you listen, you will hear slight distinctions between sounds 🙂

Looking forward to hear how you go with this activity.

[Daisydreamer]

Mindfulness Monday: Noticing your body 

When you think about the amazing functions that our bodies do everyday, it's truly extraordinary. Our bodies will naturally and unconsciously, move, breath and support our day to day functioning. 

When our days are full, and we are moving from thing to thing on our list, we may not notice the feelings in our body or how our body moves. Taking a moment to notice and bring our attention back to our body can be an important practice of mindfulness. 

Some times I do this in my day are when I am transitioning between spaces, or between tasks. For example, going from home to work, switching off from work to home life, or switching between cleaning the house to rest each evening. 

Noticing your body

Bringing your focus back to your body, is all about noticing sensation. It might be where your feet meet the floor, where your back meets the chair, or the feel of your feet in your shoes. 

Take a moment to notice what you can feel. 

If you want to go one step further, you can use this short guided video to help you reconnect and bring your focus back to your body:

How do you feel when you take a moment to bring your attention back to your body?

@Aer2812 @Shaz51 @Former-Member @tyme @NatureLover @StuF @frog @Clawde @cloudcore @Emelia8 @Judi9877 @Appleblossom @Bow @mantaray @Snowie @Gwynn @Anastasia @BlueBay @BPDSurvivor @pinklollipop15 @Ma60 @Spirit_Healer @Fluttershy1 @BlueTrane @Krishna @Jynx @mmarks1 @AussieRecharger @Jorge @Everan @Dimity @Paperdaisy @nony @Former-Member 

[Appleblossom]

I feel very mixed.  I was physically punished and brought up to think I was evil so needing of even more punishment. So lived through a significant period of extreme pain. Took a while to sort through all those things.  Eventually I found the ability to laugh and feel joy, and being in touch with my body was not so bad.  I have very thin margins of being without pain.  However I do believe body based therapies can be key to get through severe trauma and even psychotic periods.

[Daisydreamer]

Hi @Appleblossom, that's understandable to feel mixed and it sounds like you have worked through so much to be in touch with your body again Absolutely, for trauma recovery and many other mental health concerns, body based therapy can be beneficial- it certainly was for me

Experiencing severe pain for such a long time is so tough, and I am really sorry to hear the thin margins between pain for you  

[StuF]

Thanks @Daisydreamer 

I'll do this practise later.

It would help a great deal to get out of my head and listen to my body for a while, however briefly.

[Daisydreamer]

Completely agree @StuF, sometimes even a minute a day can go a long way!

[Krishna]

@Daisydreamer I love how time slows down when you practice mindfulness as does ones thoughts. Present moment only moment is one of my favourite mantras to recite throughout my day, one of many. It is very grounding. Being mindful of my body, breath and thoughts brings about a sense of peace and calm which in turn creates clarity and creativity. I try to maintain this sense of calm even amidst the storms that inevitably brew in life and it helps in handling the turbulence in a calmer manner. 🙏

[pinklollipop15]

Hi @Daisydreamer 

I just did the body scan it felt really good. 

Thankyou!