Mental Health, Mindfulness, Centering

A Centering Exercise for Repetition to Learn Peace and Joy

The following is a faithful presentation of “The Seven Senses Meditation” by Ronald Cruickshank, laid out clearly so you can use it as a daily practice to gently return to peace, even in the middle of a stressful day.

The Seven Senses Meditation

When strong feelings emerge, and you want to react, take a few moments to do the following centering exercise:

Sit down in a quiet safe place and take three deep breaths…….

Now take two more breaths more slowly…..more deeply……down into your diaphragm…

Notice where you are sitting…..on a chair…..a couch……a cushion on the floor……..

Touch the chair, couch, cushion….is it soft or firm…..supportive or you need to balance?

Feel the chair, couch, cushion…..is it rough or smooth?…..warm or cool?….notice…..

Breathe deeply…..what can you smell?….coffee?….trees?…..your perfumes?….notice….

Listen……what can you hear?….a clock ticking?……music?…..wind in the trees?…notice..

Look around you….what can you see?…..a colour?….a shape?….an object?….notice….

Focus on your mouth….are there any flavours lingering?….can you taste coffee?…toothpaste?….notice…

Notice your thoughts…..how fast you think….how if you don’t react they are replaced by another thought…and then another….just notice them….don’t react….don’t make a story in your mind about them….just notice………………

Breathe deeper……..and again………notice your emotions…..how they feel in your body…..where in your body you feel them……don’t react to them….just simply notice……don’t make a story in your mind about them….like waves on the beach….they wash in…….and they wash back out…..don’t judge them…just allow them to be……..

Stretch slowly now and rejoin the day…..what choices can you make now?………

Like any other skill, centering takes practice, not just when things are tense but also when things are calm. Chose a time and place to practice this exercise every day, it only takes 10 minutes, perhaps have your friend, partner, or child read it to you!

#counsellorron 2006

Author: Ronald Cruickshank