17. [Practical Mindfulness] Noticing Sensations

Before we dive into today’s exploration, I’d like to apologize for being MIA for the past 2 months. I’ve been working a number of projects, including designing and teaching a 4-week online mindfulness meditation course, as well as planning a day-long retreat on the theme of Befriending Changes and Uncertainties.

For those listeners based in Berlin, you’re very welcome to join the in-person day-long retreat, which will happen on Saturday May 18, at a beautiful Tibetan Buddhist centre in Friedrichshain. In case you’d like to join us, please feel free to email me at being.awareness.podcast@gmail.com. I’ll also put the details in the show notes.

I’ve been observing and teaching bridging the gap between formal sitting meditation and informal meditation for a while now. I think there’s something really interesting here. Also, I’ve received some fascinating feedback regarding the last Practical Mindfulness episode, which prompted me to design and record a series of these Practical Mindfulness practices.

Today’s practice is about noticing bodily sensations during everyday activities

Our bodies do some pretty miraculous things. There are 50 trillion cells in our bodies, every single one has a job, responding to the environmental signals, and through their harmonious collaboration, we get to breathe, touch, see, hear, taste, sense, think, interact with life.

Pondering for a second, something seemingly simple as breathing, or the heart beating. Under most circumstances, we don’t have to tell the heart to beat, or the lungs to draw the next breath, our bodies does it for us instinctively. Let’s go a bit more complex, like walking, most of the times, we don’t have to tell our knees to bed, the feet to touch the ground in a specific way, to navigate whatever kind of terrain we are on. Or, on another level, who has seen an Athlete perform an amazing feat and felt in awe of what they see?

The body carries us through our experiences in life, as a dedicated co-pilot on our journey.

Our relationship with our bodies can be quite complicated. Over a lifetime, we could’ve picked up many mixed messages about how to relate to our bodies, to identify or over-identify. And, the fast pace of life many of us are living with, may be gradually creating an ever growing separation between our embodied experiences in the world and our intellectual minds. It may be hard to understand what our bodies are really telling us through its ever subtler signals, informing us of stresses, imbalances, or diseases.

Paying attention to bodily sensations can help us ground once again into an embodied way of experiencing the world. Through this observation, notice the arising and passing of all sensations and experiences. And recognize, just like bodily sensations, all experiences in life arise and pass, arise and pass, whether pleasant or unpleasant. Ultimately, cultivating a wise and spacious relationship with life itself.

In our practice today, I’d like to invite you to practice with an everyday activity that doesn’t feel too high stake or stressful. It can be washing the dishes, tidying up the house, taking a walk, commuting, something nice and simple.

Simply carry on with your activity. Once in a while, you’ll hear a prompt from me to check in with what is happening in the moment.

If now is the right time for this practice, please feel free to continue listening. If not, please feel free to come back at a later time, when the timing feels more appropriate.

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I’d like to invite you to keep the eyes softly gazing downwards. Taking a deep breath in, and out, deep breath in, and out, one more time in, and out. whenever you’re ready, gently allow the breath to flow back to its natural rhythm.

Gently bring your attention and gaze to one of your hands. As you observe your hand, notice the sensations there. notice the colour of the skin, the textures, every fine line and hair, notice any detail you may not have noticed before. Slowly and gently, slow start to move the fingers, moving them so slowly, as if you can hardly perceive any movements. What sensations do you notice, as you’re moving at this astronomically slow pace? Also notice the shifting of light and shadows on your hand as you’re moving it. Now feel free to freely move your hand and wrist, in whichever ways that feel right in this moment. Observe any sensations that accompany every single movement, slowly letting go of this observation, and allowing the hand to rest with the rest of the body.

Allowing yourself to carry on with your activity, whether it’s washing the dishes, tidying the house, commuting, taking a walk, whatever it is you’re doing, simply allow yourself to continue with them.

Do you notice any sensations in the body? If you notice any pleasant sensations, is it possible to not hold onto them? If you’re noticing strong unpleasant sensations, is it possible to not avoid them? Rather, simply observe and let them naturally take their course?

Are you noticing any bodily sensations? Even if you don’t notice any sensations at all, that’s ok too. Whatever it is you’re noticing, see if it’s possible to simply witness them, with an open and curious attention?

Where is your attention now? Is it possible to redirect your attention to notice bodily sensations?

What sensations might you be noticing now?

Simply recognize whatever sensations might be rising in the body, as you carry on with your activity.

As this practice is drawing to a close, notice what paying attention to your bodily sensations during an activity felt like. Take note of the quality of your being, notice what might have shifted, if any, since the beginning of this practice.

As you carry on with your day, I’d like to invite you to continue paying attention to what your body is trying to tell you through sensations. Like any practice, it take time and repetition. Please don’t feel discouraged, if you forget to notice. But every time you do notice though, it’s another moment of mindfulness.

Thank you for practicing noticing bodily sensations in an everyday activity with me today. I look forward to practicing with you next time, take care, and may you be well.