Take Five for Mindfulness

Today we are sharing a great mindfulness exercise that can be used daily to centre your mind, body and soul. If you haven’t made mindfulness a part of your everyday routine, then may we suggest starting with this quick little exercise. 

To make mindfulness a daily habit, it is best that you complete the exercise at the same time every day. Then you are less likely to forget and more likely to prioritise your 1-5 minutes of peace.

We like to call this exercise Take Five for Mindfulness. Taking Five represents the five senses. So, we are going to integrate mindfulness with our senses:

Choose to sit, lay down or do this activity on the move - whatever works for you. Start by taking 3 deep, slow breaths with your eyes opened or closed depending on where you are….on the move may result in a not so peaceful outcome! Then complete each of the following steps:

Identify 5 things that you can see– for example, the shape of furniture, patterns on a pillow, colour of a wall hanging, the distance from the house to the road, the clouds in the sky, the leaves on the trees etc.

Identify 4 things that you can hear– for example, the dishwasher may be on, kettle boiling, birds chirping, people talking, wind blowing etc.

Identify 3 things that you can feel – for example, the floor under you against your feet, hair falling on your shoulders, clothes on your skin, rings on your fingers etc.

Identify 2 things that you can taste – for example, taking a sip of coffee (or your favourite beverage), the air in your mouth, your afternoon tea etc.

Identify 1 thing that you can smell– for example, flowers, essential oils, rain on the road, dinner cooking in the oven etc.

Remember to make mindfulness a habit so that you experience its many wonderful benefits, you need to practise exercises like this that focus your attention on the moment often, everyday, and around the same time each day if possible.

May this Take Five for Mindfulness bring you a calm mind and happy heart.