Visitor: Mindfulness Exercise

This mindful exercise helps to develop a mindful awareness of the environment, of the body, of the breath, and of thoughts and emotions. You can practice the exercise as a whole, or in parts, using any part of the exercise. 

The Environment
As you are walking, or just sitting quietly somewhere, start to notice things as though you were a visitor to this place. As you look around you, notice sights, sounds and smells as though you had never seen, heard or smelled them before.

You can imagine you are a visitor from another area or culture, or from a different species, even an alien visitor. You might ask yourself to try and identify this place just by what you see, hear and smell.  What clues are there to where you are?  See or hear things as if for the first time, from a completely different perspective. Spend a little time just looking and listening and noticing.
 

The Body
When 'Dr Who' regenerates into his new body, he immediately checks out his new body. As a newcomer, new awareness or a visitor, start to imagine being in your body for the first time. Notice what that feels like:  what bodily sensations do you notice? How does it feel to move around, stretching those muscles, standing up or sitting down. What do those hands feel like as you move them about, stretching and wiggling those fingers, clenching those fists?

As you start to walk, how is that? What do you notice about your legs, your upper legs, feet and toes? Move your head around and notice what you neck and shoulders feel like. Bend, stretch and move about. What are those physical sensations? Spend a little time just noticing those bodily sensations, and imagine taking your body for its first ever walk, or any everyday activity.

The Breath
What would you, as a new awareness or visitor to this new body, notice about the sensations of breathing, as you breathe in, then out? Notice the sensations in the abdomen, the chest, the throat, the mouth and nose. You can notice how your attention wanders, as thoughts come in, sometimes crowding in, and your attention can follow those thoughts.

Just notice as your attention wanders, then gently bring your focus back to your breath. Minds do wander, thoughts will come and thoughts will go, that is the nature of the human mind. As a visitor, you can stand back, notice those thoughts, feelings, sounds and sensations, and keep bringing your attention back to your breath. 

Thoughts and Emotions
Then you can start to notice, as a visitor, the thoughts and images, feelings and emotions that come and go, in this your new body and mind. Imagine that you are brand new to this body and mind, and there are no expectations for you to react to any thought, image or emotion. 

You can just notice them, and not respond. As a visitor, you can notice that they are just words and images, sensations, and feelings. Merely notice them as you would as an alien visitor to this body and mind. Words and images, sensations and feelings: they come, and they go, and that is okay, because that is just what the human mind does.

Mindfulness

Mindful Breathing

NOW - Mindfulness for Busy People

The Visitor  this page as PDF

Mindfulness of Emotions

Mindfulness Rationale

DRIFT

Flexible Thinking

SELF HELP BOOKS - using Mindfulness

Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world
The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Depression
The Mindful Way through Anxiety: Break Free from Chronic Worry and Reclaim Your Life
The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free From Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry 
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness meditation for everyday life
Full Catastrophe Living, Revised Edition: How to cope with stress, pain and illness using mindfulness meditation
Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life