Here's an exercise to help you awaken — and become more present in your day. We all get stuck in our daily routine. Sometimes we need to 'reboot' our routine, to shake things up a bit! This exercise will help your ability to be observant, present-minded and open — all crucial elements in awakening your intuition.
Try this for the next three days:
- Take a new route home - windows down, radio off, phone off.
- As soon as you come in the door after work, after your errands, after carpooling — head straight to where your belongings go. Walk the items that you’ve brought in with you straight to their proper destination. Take the extra minute to put the jacket on the hanger, the mug in the sink, the briefcase by your desk...
- Next, get yourself a glass of water, and then —
- Sit yourself down in a different chair, not the you’re used to settling into...
- Feel how the chair receives you. How do you fit there? How does the fabric feel? Is it smooth or textured? Settle in. Sit back and take a deep, relaxing breath.
- Now, do a general scan of your day.
Chance are, you likely —
Woke up
Took a shower
Got dressed
Had some breakfast
Drove to work, your kids school...out for errands
Had lunch
Drove home
Notice the moment that your mind tries to hijack you during this process (thinking of the call you forgot to make). Obeserve the impulse.
End this exerise by sayng to yourself, "All is well." (As author Eckhart Tolle recommends).
Now let this go, and continue with your normal routine (and don't forget to make that call!)
The second day, as you take inventory of the day looking at each event, include a one word description for each event: "It was...."
Add details when you take this inventory — about how anything looked, felt or sounded. For instance: Woke up to the sound of bird singing. The air felt cool on the way to work. Co-worker's new phone ringtone was nice. Go through this exercise for three days.
On the thrid day, instead of listing the major events of the day, this time, write down descriptive words about things outside youself: : "It was: " —
bright...
chirpy....
warm...
crunchy...
breezy...loud...droning...crowded...
On the Third day: After "It was..."
cloudy Add "I felt...."
quit — "I felt rested"...
Congrats! You’ve learned the the first important tool of OBSERVATION. Paying more attention to things going on around you and positioning yourself in your life in new ways more Now You’re beginning to occupy your space!
Once you’ve experienced this new routine for your three days of new awareness, try this:
Just before you drop off to sleep tonight in the way that you learned to scan your day, take a few moments to scan your life so far.
Find a memory that involves a person, place or thing. Something that made you feel happy, complete, peaceful (or excited). Now allow in that feeling of that memory. Now do a scan of your body. Where do you feel that good feeling? Don’t label it. Just let it emmate.
Come back to that feeling in the morning. Try to keep that feeling with you all day. It's now part of you!