Sensing: March 23 - 29

Last week, I introduced the 3 S's as shared by Devin Maroney on my recent silent retreat. Over the next 3 weeks, I'll delve more deeply into sensing, softening, and smiling. Let's explore sensing.

We know the mind and the body are intimately connected. That's why we suggest using the breath as an anchor in meditation. When we rest our awareness on this bodily function with intention, we communicate to the mind a sense of safety. Obviously, it works the other direction as well. Stressful thoughts show up as knots in the stomach or tightness in the neck. I spent decades ignoring and rejecting my body. One of the first and most important insights I gained from mindfulness is that the body is my greatest ally and teacher. Sensing is all about listening to the wisdom of the body.

For example, I know where worry lives in my body - it is the nervous energy in my belly. I know where joy lives in my body - it is the warmth around my heart. On retreat, we began by sensing what was showing up in the body and listening deeply. The reason I came on retreat was because I'm feeling tangled up inside and off balance by the daily turmoil in DC, where I work and live, and I want to be free. So in meditation, I found myself asking, "What does freedom feel like in the body? Where does it live? Would I recognize it if it showed up?" I spent several days sitting with this question. And that is the question I offer to you today. What does freedom feel like in the body?

Practice

This week's practice is inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert. I subscribe to her Letters from Love Substack.

Find a quiet spot. Settle into the body with three intentional breaths. Take a quick pulse check. What is your mood? What is your energy level? How is your body feeling overall?

Here's the fun part. Pick a quality you would like more of in your life. I'll focus on joy, but you might choose something like beauty or peace or play. And then ask yourself a series of questions, each evoking a different sense.

What brings you joy? What sight delights your senses? The other morning, I saw a cardinal in my backyard. It made me smile. Envision a special memory. Relive the moment. Hold the experience until its fullness ripples through the body and the heart.

What sound fills you with joy? I love the little growl Rico makes when we play tug of war with a favorite toy. It makes me giggle inside. Recall a special memory. Relive the moment. Hold the experience its fullness ripples through the body and the heart.

What smell fills you with joy? My grandmother always carried Wrigley's Doublemint gum in her purse. Peppermint and I'm with her again. What scent transports you to another place and time? Relive the moment. Hold the experience until its fullness ripples through the body and the heart.

What taste fills you with joy? Gelato in Rome on a hot summer evening. My tongue trembles in ecstasy. What memory lives on your tongue? Relive the moment. Hold the experience until its fullness ripples through the body and the heart.

What sensation fills you with joy? I have a favorite rock where I meditate at the beach. The ocean breeze on my cheek always stirs my soul. Where do you notice life hugging you?Relive the moment. Feel it in the body. Hold the experience until its fullness ripples through the body and the heart.

Now open to all of the senses. For me, I'm surrounded by birdsong and breezes, puppies and peppermint. The sheer sweetness of it all overwhelms me. Joy is here. Sit in silence and soak in the fullness of the moment.

Let's return to where we began. Settle into the body with three intentional breaths. Take a pulse check. What is your mood now? Has your energy shifted? What are you feeling overall? What has changed?