Sunday Reset: Noticing the moment
Noticing the moment
Through our mindfulness practice, we awaken to each new moment with kind curiosity. When we direct our curiosity inward, we might notice: how it feels to breathe, sensations in the body, thoughts on the mind, and we may notice a variety of emotions coming and going. Holding time and space for this noticing, with kind curiosity, can provide insight into how we're doing and lead to self-care strategies if needed. While checking in with ourselves, we can also include a few big breaths in and out for self-regulation. Check out this video from Headspace about the impact of breathing.
When we extend our curiosity outward, through our senses, we open up to the world around us, noticing through sight, touch, sound, smell, and taste.
What have you noticed lately?
Is it helpful to slow down and spend a little more time noticing?
As we move toward a new season, we can feed our curiosity, enrich our experience, and awaken through the senses even more by taking our mindfulness practice outdoors.
Through the sense of sight we may notice the colors, shapes, and textures of flowers blooming, steam rising off the pavement, the bright sun and blue sky, or clouds passing by.
We may feel the heat of the sun on our skin, a gentle breeze, the heat of the blacktop under our feet, or the weight of our clothes.
The sounds of morning bird chatter, lawn mowers, kids playing outside, cars and buses swooshing past, or perhaps moments of silence fill the air.
Smells of flowers, freshly cut grass, sunscreen, sweat, nearby grills, and car and bus exhaust fill the air.
And if we eat seasonally, we're likely tasting leafy greens, berries, BBQ, and maybe even some ice-cream!
Whatever we notice - whether it's inward (our body, thoughts, emotions, breath) or outward (through the senses), we can hold space for things to be just as they are, with a sense of steadiness and ease - neither clinging to nor pushing away the experience.
This week, I invite you to notice the present moment. What's happening inside the body which is your home? What are you noticing through the senses? Can you step away from a screen or device and notice what's happening outdoors? I'd love to hear about your exploration.
What's on your mind? Send me an email.
Warmly,
Julia
PS. Exciting news! We have two new programs coming this July - Outdoor Mindfulness with Aspetuck Land Trust and a Zoom-based program, Eat Mindfully, Live Kindly - stay tuned for more details!
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