Welcome to this body and mind training exercise.
What I ask you to do is position yourself in a comfortable position that you can hold for a few moments,
Ideally with your feet placed flat on the floor and the lower part of your back pushed against the chair so you've got some support there,
But otherwise with a fairly upright and alert posture and having the hands just resting lightly on the thighs or on the knees.
We'll take three breaths to just begin the exercise.
One,
Two,
And three.
If you feel comfortable inviting you to close your eyes so that you can really experience all the richness of the feedback from the body into the mind.
Let's bring our awareness now down into the left hand.
Really exploring all the sensations coming into the mind from the left hand as it touches the leg.
What can you notice or observe?
Can you explore the places where the hand is connected to the leg?
What does that feel like?
What can you discover about temperature,
Temperature,
Texture?
If the mind is wondering that's okay,
Just acknowledge the mind has become preoccupied with something.
Gently bring the mind back to focusing on the left hand.
How do I experience the left hand?
Now I'm going to ask you to do something,
But again I'd like you to really try and be fully aware of all aspects of what you're about to do before you do it.
So first listen to the instruction and then carry out the action.
Now I'm going to ask you to do something,
But again I'd like you to listen and then carry out the action.
I want you to lift your little finger of the left hand up and then place it back down again.
Lifting the little finger up and placing it back down again.
Keep going with that action up and down.
Lifting the little finger of the left hand up and down.
Just on the left side.
See if you can go even slower with this movement.
Paying attention to all aspects of feedback in the mind as you complete the movement.
What do you notice as the finger goes up?
What do you notice as the finger goes down?
Bringing awareness to any sensations of texture as the finger connects to the leg.
Being aware of changes in temperature as the finger connects to the leg.
Being aware of changes in temperature as the finger connects and then lifts up again.
Let's do two more of these.
And then rest the finger down being aware of what the stillness feels like.
The change in the hand and the arm when the movement ceases.
Noticing anything in the mind but keeping the focus on the left hand.
Now moving the finger out to the side opening it in the lateral direction.
Asking yourself how do I decide how far to go with the finger?
How am I deciding when to move out and when to move in?
What happens in the hand and the arm as I complete this motion?
What can I notice as the finger comes back towards the hand?
Let's do two more of these lateral movements and then come to a stop.
Noticing any change in the left hand or the left arm when we stop the movement.
And we're finished now with three breaths.
One,
Two and three.
And so with your body in mind go mindfully into the rest of your day.
