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5 Senses

What do you need: Safe and quiet space, with a place to lay down or sit on in a comfortable position.
What can it help for: Promotes mindfulness – bringing attention to “here and now” – with your body, bodily sensations, thoughts, and feelings.
How much time do you need: Up to 15 minutes. 
How to do it?
Pay attention to your body position. How the body feels, how it leans against other surfaces (chair, sofa, etc.); or if you are standing and feet are touching the ground – how do you feel in your neck, shoulders, arms, back, legs? What sensations does the movement of breath create in your body (in the nose, throat, chest, stomach)?
For a moment, feel and observe the movements of your breath in your body – be at that moment, be “here and now”! 
Inhale deeply – exhale and start focusing on your:
1. Surroundings – Look around, what do you see? What textures do the things you see have? What colour are they? Do you like the colour? See the details. Is there anything special about it? For a few minutes, direct your awareness to your sense of sight. 
2. Touch – Touch the things around you. What are you touching? What is the surface of the things you are touching like? Is it warm, cold, neutral, soft or sharp? Stay with sensations of touch.
3. Hearing – What nearby sounds do you hear? What sounds do you hear in the distance? Do you like the sound? Is the sound you hear relaxing?  Does the sound disturb you? Stay with these sounds for a few minutes.
4. Smell – What do you smell? Note any aromas in the air. Do you know this smell? Can you describe it? Do you like it? (If no smell comes into awareness, you can smell your arm or clothes.).
5. Taste if you have something available that you can taste. You can also imagine that you taste something you would like to. What does it taste like? Does it taste good? Sensing it, without any rush.  
Pay attention to your breath. Breathe naturally. Observe the cycle of inhalation and exhalation in the body.  
! Don’t just make observations about these sensory details, but also note how they make you feel. 
Would you like to try some variations? 
● You can vary the time of the task depending on the time you have by yourself (from 1 min to 15 min or more). 
● Also, you can visualize a beautiful memory or a place where you feel calm and try to find in your visualization these 5 senses (sense of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste)!
● You can prepare delicious food and enjoy the taste sensation!
● You can begin with just two senses. Pick any two, spend a few minutes meditating on each and see how you feel. Next time, you can try different senses, or try adding more senses. You can also use all 5 senses, depending on what you feel like trying. 



 

Now you can reflect:
● What is different now? You can think about your current physical sensations, feelings,and thoughts.
● Which of the senses did you find most enjoyable to explore?
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