A great way to regulate and get back to the moment uses your 5 senses. When you are recovering from trauma or have chronic health or mental health issues getting back to the present is important. We don’t want to live in the past. Or worry too much about the future. We have to try to live more in the moment. I have learned and practiced the 5 senses meditation through my work in EMDR therapy and find it helpful when I start to get overwhelmed.
How to Do The 5 Senses Meditation
The key to the 5 senses meditation is to not rush through thr process. You want to take your time, breathe deeply throughout, and try to stay focused. If your brain starts to wonder, that’s okay. Recognize that it’s wondering and shift your thoughts back to the moment. To do this meditation you will identify:
- 5 things you see (really analyze them with your eyes)
- 4 things you feel (describe how they feel in your mind)
- 3 things you hear (focus your ears and think about the volume, pitch, and tone of the sounds)
- 2 things you smell (take even deeper breaths for this part)
- 1 thing you taste (even if it is a leftover taste on your teeth)
Try to spend approximately 5-10 minutes doing this. Slowing it down helps us to be truly present in the moment instead of zooming through it in hopes of fast success.
Benefits of This Meditation
There are many perks to this type of meditation:
- You can do it anywhere (doctor office, work, at home, outdoors, etc.)
- You will often feel more emotionally grounded and at peace
- This focus on breathing and your surroundings can help slow your heart rate
- It is completely free to do and you don’t need an app or person guiding you to be successful at it.
In Conclusion
If you find yourself often getting overwhelmed with thoughts from the past or anxieties for the future, I recommend giving this meditation a try. It is easy to do. And it can make a great impact on getting you regulated and back to your day.
