Looking for a practice to teach?

I get these questions all the time: Where do I start? What practice can I use?

Are you a new teacher or an experienced teacher? This practice will work for seasoned practitioners, new students, classes, or sessions, as we call them in The Mindful City. The practice I am sharing is a mere glimpse into the rich world of presence and awareness. This practice is your first step on a rewarding journey to calm. Let’s dive in.

Mindfulness Practice: The Five Senses Grounding Exercise

Objective:

Engaging all five senses is a simple and powerful technique for helping clients anchor themselves in the present moment and reduce stress and anxiety.

Duration: Approximately 10-15 minutes

Instructions for the Practitioner:

1. Setting the Scene:

Find a comfortable and quiet space where you and your client(s) will not be disturbed.

Invite your client(s) to sit comfortably, with feet flat on the floor, hands resting on the thighs, and back straight but relaxed.

Encourage gently closing the eyes or a soft gaze downward to minimize distractions.

2. Breathing to Begin:

Guide your clients to take several deep, slow breaths – inhaling deeply through the nose and exhaling slowly through the mouth.

With each exhale, encourage the release of any obvious tension in the body.

3. Engaging the Senses:

Sight: Ask your clients to open their eyes and name five things they can see around them. Encourage them to describe the objects with detail, such as color, texture, or light.

Touch: Have them notice and name four things they can feel right now. This could be the sensation of the chair beneath them, the air on their skin, or the fabric of their clothes.

Hearing: Instruct them to close their eyes again and tune into three sounds they can hear inside the room or from outside. Remind them to listen without judgment or interpretation.

Smell: Encourage them to identify two scents in the air. If there are no obvious smells, have them focus on the subtle scent of the room or even their own skin.

Taste: Finally, have them focus on one thing they can taste, which might be a lingering flavor of a recent meal or drink, or simply the neutral taste of their mouth.

4. Reflective Pause:

After going through the five senses, guide your clients to return to their natural breathing pattern.

Allow them a minute or two to sit in silence, absorbing the experience of being fully present.

5. Closing the Practice:

Gently bring their awareness back to the room.

Ask them to stretch their limbs if needed and slowly open their eyes when they are ready.

Encourage them to reflect on the experience and how they can carry this sense of presence into their daily routines.

Debriefing with Students:

After the exercise, facilitate a brief discussion about their experience. Ask questions like:

• How do you feel now compared to before the exercise?

• Which sense was the most grounding for you?

• How might you incorporate this practice into stressful or overwhelming daily sensations?

Wrapping it up with a bow.

As you and your clients revel in the tranquility afforded by this grounding exercise, let it serve as an inspired reflection on the depth and breadth of mindfulness. This simple yet profound experience is a mere glimpse into the rich landscape of practices that await within "The Mindful City Program."

I’ll be with you every step of the way, sharing a curriculum that transcends the basics and exploring nuanced techniques and contemplative strategies that resonate with the unique rhythms of city life and governance. The program is thoughtfully crafted to not just educate but also catalyze transformation within you, organizations, and communities.

Hope to meet you soon.

Lane ✌🏻

Grab the roadmap and get started with The Mindful City.