take five
With my eyes, welcome 5 colours.
With my nose, observe 5 breaths.
With my ears, locate 5 sounds.
With my skin, notice 5 touchpoints.
With my heart, appreciate 5 things.
A mindfulness practice in poem form by
Tan Cheen Chong
mindfulness teacher
brain exercise
As you embark on your journey to live in the here and now, you will discover the universality of the human mind. Our mind has a mind of its own!
Would you rather be “lost in thoughts”, overwhelmed by “dominant thoughts”, or know where your “train of thought” is heading?
Mindfulness classes are like gym workouts. They intend to strengthen your brain “muscles” through regular intentional practices. This cultivates a habit of knowing what’s going on right now, and to return conscious decision-making control back to you. Allow me to guide with a simple 3-step mindfulness exercise here.
let's listen
preparation
Equipment. You will need:
- a simple timer (I use the one on my mobile phone)
- a comfortable chair
Seated posture. Try this:
- Settle into a chair
- Allow your body to relax, especially around the neck, shoulders and back
- Place your palms flat on your thighs
- Rest your feet flat on the ground
- Breathe normally
listening
- Start timer. Set the timer to chime softly after three (3) minutes. Start the timer.
- Listen curiously. Start paying attention to sounds around and within you. Simply note the different sounds you are aware of.
- End slowly. Stop when the timer chimes. Gently open your eyes if they had closed.
review
Let’s go through the simple mindfulness exercise. Reflect on each question.
- What sounds did you hear? What new sounds were discovered?
- What distracted you from the simple task of listening? Thoughts, memories, images, inner dialogue, surrounding noises?
- What did you notice about the behaviour of your own mind?
self-realisation
While your brain gave a basic instruction to listen to sounds, the mind naturally wanders. Did you notice what types of thoughts emerged during the short practice? Were they about the future or past? Perhaps you remembered something you had forgotten to do? Or maybe you ended up day-dreaming?
Our brains constantly process multiple sensory inputs. Any of them can trigger a stored meaning, experience or memory. Before long, we’d have gone down a different path. The simple task of listening has been forgotten. Can you imagine this is happening throughout your day, being hijacked by random thoughts? Has this happened to you in the middle of a conversation, when you’re trying to sleep, or when things don’t go your way?
I find it difficult to do this. What should I do?
9 tips for mindfulness newbies
When attempting mindfulness instructions from the Internet or books, it is easy to give up when we don’t ‘feel’ anything. In seeking instant gratification, it’s easy to get ahead of ourselves.
Here are a few pointers to manage your expectations. Read our FAQs to understand what others like you had gone through.
normal to have thoughts
It is impossible to empty the mind, just like it is impossible not to breathe. Both are unachievable objectives.
moments of awareness
What you are aiming for initially is having short moments of awareness. These “oases” remind you of what is going on right now.
flexible attention
If you feel overwhelmed, direct your attention outwards instead. E.g. listening to sounds or noticing objects around you.
drowsy is normal
You are either relaxed or sleep-deprived. Splash water on your face. Keep your eyes open. Stretch a bit. Or get some much-needed sleep first.
no equipment required
All the equipment that you need is in your head. Don’t fuss about a certain type of seat, candles in the room, total silence, etc.
manage expectations
Don’t seek relaxation or healing. These are gifts when conditions are right. Continue to be curious of your own direct experience.
minimise disruptions
Find a place and time you will be undisturbed. Simply disconnect. It is easier to learn to sail a boat in calm waters, than in a storm.
welcome distractions
Whenever you realise that you have been distracted, gently guide your attention back to the exercise. Patience, acceptance and self-kindness are part of the lesson.
many techniques
If you don’t feel like it’s working, try another. Maybe you are visually- or kinaesthetically-inclined. Seek a teacher’s guidance
be formless, shapeless,
like water.
Now you put water into a cup,
it becomes the cup.
Putting it into a teapot,
it becomes the teapot.
Now water can flow, or creep,
or drip, or crash.
Be water my friend.
Bruce Lee
founder of Jeet Kune Do fighting style
the mind gym
Hopefully that was a simple mindfulness exercise for you. Like going to the gym, regular mindfulness exercises support mental fitness. Sensations, thoughts and distractions are all equipment in your “mind” gym. Together with the five senses, they help train you to habitually attend to the present moment. This act of self-care invites you to live each moment as fully as you can.
exercisenow