This Dharma Thought is brought to you by the Tergar Bozeman: Joy of Living Practice Group which meets Wednesdays at 5:30 PM. This group is currently working with meditations using our senses.
Smells and tastes often go unnoticed in daily life. By bringing awareness to smells and tastes, however, you can transform boring daily routine- like cooking, eating or simply walking down the street or through your office building or home – into practices that calm and strengthen your mind.
- Take a moment to notice whatever smells or odors may be present right now. What happens when you pay attention to them? Can you smell them all at the same time:
- When you are eating a meal, what are you usually paying attention to? How does this affect you eating habits?
Home Practice:
Daily activities:
When you wake, form the intention to be mindful of your body, of sights, sounds, or whatever sense object you’ve chose for the day.
Remind yourself of this intention as often as you can?
Pick moments to remind yourself, place reminders like sticky notes around your home or office.
From time to time during the day, pause and rest your awareness on the sights, sounds, smells and feelings moving through your awareness.
Sitting:
Start by finding your meditation posture. Renew your motivation. Rest in open awareness. Leave all your sense doors open, don’t block any aspect of experience.
After a few minutes, rest your attention on an object in your visual field, or whatever sense you have chosen to use as support for your meditation.
You don’t need to change or alter your experience in any way, nor do you need to focus intensely or concentrate the mind. Simply know that you are (seeing/hearing/smelling/feeling).
End by resting again in open awareness, not distracted and not meditating. Eyes open for the last 1-2 min.