With our hectic lives and times of increasing stress, it becomes easier and easier to loose sight of the beauty that surrounds us everywhere. Do you take the time to really notice the ‘small things’ in your life?

It doesn’t take much, just an open eye to see with and an open heart to feel with. Now, find something to look at. Anything; a photo in a magazine, a flower, a rock, a leaf, a cup of coffee, even your hand. Take a few minutes to really observe your object, see it with a new set of eyes, become that object.  Notice all the different colors and shades of the same color. Notice the texture. Notice what it feels like (if it’s a photo, feel what it would feel like to actually be there). Just lose yourself for a few minutes and become totally absorbed in feeling and observing.

Guess what.  Your blood pressure dropped in those few minutes. Your stress level dropped. You relaxed.  You didn’t have a choice, you were totally present in what you were doing. No other thoughts could enter into your mind. This is a simple exercise that can be practiced anytime, anywhere and with anything.