The Power of a 5 Senses Practice
Have you ever thought…
“Meditation is SO hard!”
“What does that even mean??”
“That doesn’t work for me.”
But you deeply desire to feel more centered and free to fully abide in your day.
I have a secret to tell you…ME TOO. Even after studying the art of stillness through incredible teachers, books, and yoga, the concept of meditation still felt muddy to me for years.
Meditation can include prayer, journaling, reading scripture, breath work, mantras, or contemplation, and all of that definitely belongs, but there’s something missing. A deep stillness in the heart and mind. It's critical because when the thinking mind becomes still, it creates a quiet space where the mind, body, and spirit can reset, creating blank space for truth to abide in the physical and emotional body.
I’d guess that I’m not the only one who would agree that this “quieting” concept is a bit tricky in the midst of constant internal and external chaos. You too?
But how do we get there?
Through studying, mentorship, personal experimenting, and working with clients, I created the 5 Senses Practice. It’s been a catalyst for so much healing both physically and mentally and continues to be a sacred space I return to every morning. So today I’m sharing it with you!
You don’t have to force your mind into a black hole in order to gain clarity, you just have to find a way to abide. A place where the subconscious whispers, “Body, I trust you. Mind, I’m fighting for you. Heart, I’m going to take care of you.”
The 5 Senses Practice:
-You’ll only need about 10 minutes for this practice to be effective.
-First, find something that delights each of your 5 senses…taste, touch, smell, sight (for this you’ll actually need a sleep mask or blindfold), and sound.
-Mine includes my favorite mug full of hot coffee, a soft blanket, a lavender massage oil, a sleep mask, and an instrumental playlist (I love the album Healthy Living by Meditation Relaxation club on Spotify)
-Sit in a comfortable place and tune into your senses one at a time:
-SEE: cover your eyes with a blindfold or sleep mask to turn off your physical eyes and turn on your mind’s eye, allowing it to go to a place where you feel peaceful and content. This will also help to escalate your awareness to the other 4 senses.
-FEEL: sit on a soft blanket or chair and rub essential oils or a lotion into your forearms and the soles of your feet
-SMELL: inhale the scents surrounding you: the oils, lotion, a candle, etc
-TASTE: sip on the flavors of your cup of tea/coffee/lemon water
-LISTEN: listen to the melody of the instrumentals or nature sounds playing
-When negative, destructive, or worrisome thoughts enter your head (because they will! They float around the subconscious mind and love to come out in quiet moments like this.) Say to those thoughts, “You don’t belong here, you can go.”
That’s it.
Be there.
Walk through your senses and savor each one.
What’s the point?
I like facts and evidence if I'm going to make room for something in my life, so here are a few reasons why this practice can make such an impact on finding our way back to wholeness:
1. Bondage begins in the mind, but intentional quietness makes way for truth and truth burns through lies.
2. When you nurture your physical body, it allows for you nervous system to heal, which impacts inflammation, digestion, and disease
3. Creating a positive sensory experience allows for your cortisol hormones to lower which allows your body to return to it’s natural rhythms (sleep, weight, blood flow, energy, etc.)
4. Making time to nurture your physical body through the 5 senses reminds the mental and physical body of it’s worthiness, which leads to acting with greater courage, tenacity, and purpose.
5. Lies in the subconscious mind often dictate your day without you even being aware, creating irritability, frustration, and lack of motivation. When you create space for those negative thoughts to rise up, you can call their bluff and clear them out.
6. Engaging in the 5 senses increases endorphins which lowers pain responses in the body and paves new pathways in the brain.
Have you ever tried a practice to engage your 5 senses? Comment below to tell us your favorite ways!