Especially since the 1960s, meditation has enjoyed increasing attention as its benefits for both the soul and body are becoming more evident. Much has been written about the effects of meditation on well-being on both the physical and spiritual levels. By combining the physical five senses with the spiritual practice of meditation, you can increase your sense of well-being and joy in the world.
Before beginning each meditation, it is important to get into the correct state of mind. Make sure that you’re in a comfortable place, sitting or lying down. Breathing is the key. It will be the vehicle for enhancing your senses. You can intensify your breathing and relaxation by doing the following:
- Start by simply breathing in and out
- Focus on the breath moving in and out of your body
- Start breathing more deeply
- Visualize the air clearing the toxins from your body
- Do this until you feel cleansed and relaxed
Five Sense, Five Days
Unless they are disabled in some way, human beings have five senses through which they experience the world. Making these senses the focus of meditation enhances this experience of the world. To maximize the experience, devote one full day to each sense. You can start on a Monday, for example, and meditate each day until Friday, or you can have rest periods in between, such as using only every other day for meditation.
Day 1: Touch
Start with the breathing exercise above. Visualize the air that you’re breathing in moving through your body and surfacing towards your skin. Focus on your skin. Feel the sensations: the bed or chair underneath you; your clothing. Feel the air pressing gently on you. Imagine yourself growing more sensitive to touch. Continue focusing like this for 10 – 15 minutes or longer.
When you have finished, gently move and stretch your limbs. Use the whole day to focus on touch – feel the breeze, the sunshine, a loved one’s caress.
Day 2: Hearing
Hearing is a gift. While only the severely disabled has no sense of touch, hearing is something that not everyone is endowed with. Do the same for hearing as you did with touch. Begin with your breathing exercise, and move the air you breathe into your hearing. Concentrate on sound during the meditation and throughout the day. A good idea is to play some relaxing music while you meditate.
Day 3: Smell
Find something that smells good to use during your meditation. Scented candles or incense are good examples. You could also use perfume, scented oil, flowers, or even fresh-baked cookies. Concentrate on the sensations entering your nose as you breathe. Enjoy the smell of your room while you are meditating. Concentrate on the various smells you encounter throughout the day.
Day 4: Taste
To focus your taste sensation, include something that is good to eat or drink. Take a sip or a bite before you start your session, and let the taste become the focus of the meditation. When you have finished, take another sip or taste, and carry the sensation with you throughout the day. Every time you eat or drink something, breathe, and visualize the substance nourishing your body.
Day 5: Sight
Like hearing, sight is a precious sensory gift that many do not have. In addition to looking at beautiful things, this meditation includes a sense of gratitude for the sense of sight. Keep your eyes open while you meditate. Send the air you breathe to your eyes. Look at what you can see while you do this, and feel the beauty of the world around you. Do this throughout your day as well – look for beauty in everything.
The Joy of Sensation
The human body is beautifully designed to experience the world through its five physical senses. When you concentrate on each sense in turn, your sense of well-being and connection to the world is enhanced. The benefits of meditation extends to both te mind and the body; it connects the mind, body and soul into a coherent whole.
Read More:
Allen, Colin. The Benfits of Meditation. 2003. Retrieved from PsychologyToday.com
