Life unfolds in this present moment. It does not exist in the future or the past, nor does it live in our minds. It lives and unfolds in the here and now. This grounding exercise practice will help you connect with it.
To connect with the present moment is to connect with our life. How do we connect with the present moment? Mindfulness technique helps us do that by consistently bringing our attention to what is happening right here, right now.
Our senses are always operating in the here and now. When we connect with our senses by paying attention to our sensory inputs – such as sight, smell and sound – we immediately connect with the present moment and ground ourselves in the here and now.
The technique is very simple, and anyone can do it. In fact, we have all done it before and already do it every day. When we take in the smell of our favorite flower, when we look at the blue sky, when we hear a dog barking, we are connecting with our senses.
Mindfulness practice offers an opportunity to engage with our senses in an intentional way. Join me in this brief three-minute grounding exercise that will guide you through a simple process of slowing down, breathing and connecting with your senses. It can be done multiple times a day, whenever you feel a need to pause and reconnect.
Why is mindful awareness important?
Mindful awareness is at the heart of Whole Health. It can help you live your life more fully, with all its joys and challenges. In general, mindful awareness may improve your quality of life, helping you experience more moments of your life, and help you see things as they are and observe – but not judge – your experiences.
Watch a short video and find additional resources about how you can incorporate mindful awareness into your daily life here: https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTH/circle-of-health/mindful-awareness.asp.
For more mindfulness on the go, check out the VA Mindfulness Coach App: Mindfulness Coach | VA Mobile.
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though not initially ready and not knowing what to expect, once I continued to pay attention to the voice and tried to follow instructions, i came to experience a sense of tranquility developing interest in wanting to hear more to experience where the exercise will take me. Good job.