4. Notice how it feels to fully focus on your inhale. As you inhale, notice any particular feelings of tension or strain, and notice the sensation of your lungs and abdomen filling up as you inhale.
5. Now gently shift your awareness to focus more on your exhale. With each exhale, notice what it’s like to feel your breath passing out through your nostrils. And observe, without judgment, anything that you feel in your body.
6. For the next few minutes, continue to breathe gently and evenly. Feel the breath as it comes in through your nose, followed by a steady exhale.
7. Notice what’s happening in your mind. If you notice your mind wandering or your thoughts drifting, don’t judge yourself or react self-critically. Simply notice this, and …show more content…
We’ve discussed throughout this chapter our tendency to operate on “autopilot” much of the time, with little conscious awareness of what’s happening in the moment. We drive to work, but have little memory afterwards of how we got from “Point A” to “Point B.” We read a page in a book, but then have to re-read it because our mind was elsewhere the whole time. And we polish off our favorite meal, only to realize that we barely took time to savor the experience.
In this exercise, we’ll harness the power of mindfulness to begin shutting off our autopilot and more fully connecting to the present moment. To do so, we’ll start with an activity that all of us do every day: eating. But rather than eating an entire meal in a mindful manner, we’re going to start with a much humbler goal – eating a single raisin!
To begin with, set aside around ten minutes of time when you can be undisturbed and alone. You’ll need a few raisins for this activity (or if you prefer, any other dried fruit can substitute). In addition, I recommend taking a few moments afterward to write down any reactions you have to the exercise, and what you learned from
5. Now gently shift your awareness to focus more on your exhale. With each exhale, notice what it’s like to feel your breath passing out through your nostrils. And observe, without judgment, anything that you feel in your body.
6. For the next few minutes, continue to breathe gently and evenly. Feel the breath as it comes in through your nose, followed by a steady exhale.
7. Notice what’s happening in your mind. If you notice your mind wandering or your thoughts drifting, don’t judge yourself or react self-critically. Simply notice this, and …show more content…
We’ve discussed throughout this chapter our tendency to operate on “autopilot” much of the time, with little conscious awareness of what’s happening in the moment. We drive to work, but have little memory afterwards of how we got from “Point A” to “Point B.” We read a page in a book, but then have to re-read it because our mind was elsewhere the whole time. And we polish off our favorite meal, only to realize that we barely took time to savor the experience.
In this exercise, we’ll harness the power of mindfulness to begin shutting off our autopilot and more fully connecting to the present moment. To do so, we’ll start with an activity that all of us do every day: eating. But rather than eating an entire meal in a mindful manner, we’re going to start with a much humbler goal – eating a single raisin!
To begin with, set aside around ten minutes of time when you can be undisturbed and alone. You’ll need a few raisins for this activity (or if you prefer, any other dried fruit can substitute). In addition, I recommend taking a few moments afterward to write down any reactions you have to the exercise, and what you learned from