Today's Focus: Sensory Awareness

Mantra: Wake up with the senses

Welcome to your first day of practice! I'm honored to guide you through this journey of mindfulness, starting with something we all have but often overlook—our amazing senses.

Why This Practice Matters

When we get lost in our thoughts, we often miss the richness of life happening right now. Your senses are your direct connection to the present moment—what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell can only be experienced NOW, not in the past or future. This is why returning to your senses is one of the fastest ways to disrupt endless thinking and break free from anxiety.

By returning to your senses throughout the day, you're training your brain to:

• Step out of rumination and worry
• Experience life more fully and richly
• Create space between triggers and reactions
• Find moments of peace amid busyness

Think of your senses as doorways into the present moment—always available, always waiting for you to notice them.

How to practice today

Your Daily Practice Guide: Complete the Return to Practice once today (morning recommended), Return for Clarity with the daily reminder whenever triggered, and practice at least three Quick Returns throughout your day.

1. Return to Practice: (10-40 minutes, morning recommended) Make dedicated time daily to strengthen your sensory awareness: 

• Complete the Awareness of Breath meditation below
• Reflect and journal about your experience to listen for deeper insights and intentions
• Set a simple intention for bringing sensory awareness into your day

2. Return for Clarity: (3-5 minutes, when triggered) When stress or difficult emotions arise, use the guided micro-practice below to:

• Pause and reconnect with your senses
• Let your sensory awareness create space to listen within
• Commit to one small step you can take in alignment with your insight and intentions

3. Quick Returns: (1-2 minutes, throughout the day) Use today's mantra "wake up with the senses" for quick returns to the present moment using your senses during:

• Waking up in the morning
• Transitions between activities
• Moments of stress or discomfort
• Pleasant experiences (eating, conversations, nature)
• Mental fatigue or overwhelm

Pro Tips

• Bookmark this page on your computer or phone's homesecreen for easy access
• Start with the guided audio, then try self-guided practice
• Use transitions as mindful walking opportunities
• Remember: This practice works for both challenging and enjoyable moments

Let's begin exploring the world through your senses!

I. Return to Practice

Return

Today, we will be practicing the Awareness of Breath Meditation. The breath allows us to experience the spaciousness within. By returning to the sensations of breathing, we're learning to let go of thinking and simply being.

Choose from one of the following meditations. There is a shorter version, which is about ten minutes, and a longer version, which is thirty minutes. If you choose the shorter meditation and would like more guidance throughout your practice, the meditation labeled "More Guidance" has additional instructions and reminders.

Listen

Take a few minutes to reflect or journal:

Please take a few moments to reflect on your experience in whatever way feels natural to you. Sometimes freestyle journaling can help explore unconscious patterns.

 If helpful, gently invite these questions to gain an understanding of your sensory awareness—which senses do you tend to use more or less?

1. What are the causes and conditions that leave you disconnected from your senses, and what strengthens awareness of your senses?

2. What are the consequences—how does it feel when you’re disconnected from your senses, and how does it feel when you return to your senses?

Begin

Based on your discoveries and insights from above, set an intention to deepen your sensory awareness. Commit to one activity you will do today, during which you will give your full attention to your senses, like eating, walking, listening to music, or taking a shower. Return to your senses in between work or when you need breaks—take a moment away from your thinking mind and rest your awareness on one sense of your choosing. Make a commitment to return to this practice, using the Daily Reminder audio guidance and mantra at specific times of the day.

II. Return for Clarity (3-5 minutes)

When you notice stress, overwhelm, or reactivity, pause to:

1. Choose the micro-practice below
2. Let sensory awareness help you see more clearly
3. Respond mindfully instead of reacting

For your first trigger of the day, listen to the guided audio (3-5 minutes). This practice helps you:

• Pause when triggered
• Return to your senses
• Gain perspective
• Choose how to respond

Over time, this practice helps rewire your brain's response to challenging situations.Instead of automatic reactivity, returning to your senses will create more spacious awareness for you to choose your response.

III. Quick Returns (1-2 minutes)

Use these everyday moments as cues to practice and play with sensory awareness:

Check in when:

• Waking up
• Transitioning (between tasks, rooms, or activities)
• Taking breaks
• Taking meals or snacks
• In nature
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Caught in overthinking
• Need to reset

How to practice - Choose to either:

• Practice on your own using the mantra, "wake up with the senses." as a reminder to use your senses as a way to be present (1-2 minutes)
• Listen to the guided recording above for the micro practice (5 minutes)

Share Your Experience: What moments did you find this practice most helpful? Any shifts or challenges when you return to your senses? Let us know in the comments below.