Mindfulness: Stop Look Listen

Stop, Look, Listen, Smell, Taste, Touch.
What you know of the world comes through the 5 senses.  Paying attention to your sensory input can focus the mind on the present.  Living in the present can, momentarily, lower anxiety, relieve muscle tension and calm the mind.  
Here's a quick exercise, The Senses Check, which takes about a minute to bring you into a tranquil space.

• ​Stand and take a few deep breaths.
• Slowly rotate in place as you take in the visual information around you.  Name everything you see.
• Come back to place and close your eyes and attend to the sounds in your environment.  Name the sounds.  Locate them in your mind's eye.
• Switch your awareness to smell and identify any odors.
• Now, lick your lips to taste whatever is there.
• Next, switch your attention to touch.  How do your clothes feel on your body?  How do they feel when you touch each component; soft/hard, warm/cold, rough/smooth.  How does your body feel?  Notice any kinks, sore spots, muscle tension.
• Inhale deeply and as you exhale release any physical stress.
• Smile!

This one-minute exercise connects you to the immediate environment through your 5 senses.  If you practice often you can lower your stress baseline, clear a cluttered mind, relax the body, even change your viewpoint.​
Do The Senses Check and experience the present moment completely.
Even one episode of mindful practice can be beneficial for your health.