The hustle and bustle of the world around us is busy. There is so much noise and so many things that compete for our attention. And in the chaos of daily life, it can be easy to skip out on intentional time to center our mind, body, and spirit. That can include making time for a daily mindfulness practice or incorporating something simple such as a five minute mindfulness exercise for yogis every day.

Think about it! When is the last time you set aside five minutes JUST for you to recenter and be intentional? 

Try this: 5-4-3-2-1 Exercise

This five minute mindfulness exercise is designed to return your focus to the now — to root yourself in the present moment by anchoring your thoughts to the tangible things in your environment.

Begin by setting yourself up in a comfortable position. You can choose to do this in your mind’s eye, but it may be helpful to jot down your responses in a notebook, too.

Take three deep, full breaths to your belly. Observe:

What are five things you can see around you? Describe how they look. Are they big, small, colorful, textured, pretty, mundane, or inspiring? Really look at what you see.

What are four things you can hear? Perhaps a bird is chirping outside your window, or you can hear your own breath in your ears. What do you hear, and where are the sounds coming from?

What are three things you can touch? Do you feel the sensation of your clothes touching your skin? What is the texture of the chair or seat you’re sitting on? How does your pen or notebook feel in your hands?

What are two things you can smell? Maybe it’s a candle burning next to you, or your cologne or perfume.

What’s one thing you can taste? If you aren’t tasting anything now, is there a favorite food or dish you can taste just by thinking about it? Why is that food so special to you?

Consider how many things our senses miss, just by being too busy to notice. The next time you find yourself feeling the need for grounding and presencing in your life, try a quick version of this exercise. It’s amazing what lies just under our noses — no pun intended!