In this spoken piece, the author (Patrick Mosher) addresses the overwhelming flow of political, media, and social‑media distractions that characterize today’s turbulent times. He proposes a free, anytime mindfulness practice called “Alive in the Senses,” a guided five‑sense visualization that moves the listener through imagined sunlight on the skin, the taste of a favorite food, a night sky, a playground, and a beach. Each sensory vignette is described in vivid, concrete detail to evoke warmth, taste, sight, sound, and smell, encouraging the listener to feel refreshed and grounded without moving a muscle. The exercise concludes with a set of journaling prompts—answer each in ten words or less, and imagine how a four‑year‑old would describe the sensations—to deepen the experience. A personal anecdote about a sunbeam creating a rainbow through a prism on the author’s desk illustrates the everyday beauty that can be noticed when attention is redirected. The overall message is that comfort and empowerment are accessible through simple, present‑moment sensory awareness, even amid political noise and media overload.
Chapters
These are turbulent times. So many ways to divide our attention. Here in the United States, we have a historical election coming up. Politicians fill the airwaves with ads. Mud fills the air with mudslinging. Marketers amp up with their sound bites. Breaking news from the news media. Social media channels know if they can grab your attention with just a little bit of catnip, They can capture you for a few minutes or maybe even a few hours. We consume, and for some reason we want more and more. An insatiable hunger gathers in our stomachs. The hunger grows. Our very souls are hungry. Why? Because these are empty calories. What if I told you there was a simple way to feel a sense of fulfillment, comfort, or even harmony. It's available to you every moment of the day. How much would you pay for that sense of comfort in turbulent times? $100, or maybe even 100 times 100? You don't have to pay 5 cents for that sense of comfort. Are you curious? Are you ready? This is an advanced version of an activity I call Alive in the Senses. Sit back, get comfortable, take a deep breath. In the next few moments, you can change your reality without moving a muscle. I'm going to ask you 5 questions. Close your eyes and imagine a bright summer sun. Hold out your hands, palms down. Feel the sun as it warms the skin on your forearms. Feel it? The sun rays warm your skin tissues. Those rays dive deeper into your skin. Your bones smile as they feel the pulsating warmth. Didn't that feel good? Imagine a food you find absolutely delectable. My wife loves blueberries. Me? I'm a chocoholic. Imagine biting into that food. I could pop that whole bonbon in my mouth. But I like to bite into them. That way I get two bites, doubling the pleasure. Mmm. Sometimes my mouth waters so much with that first bite that a little bit drips out the sides of my mouth. I don't care. I taste the chocolate inside my mouth. The hard chocolate outside tastes different than the creamy inside. Did that taste good or what? Hmm. Let's go outside. It's nighttime. Feel the cooling breeze wash the day's heat and maybe the day's troubles from your skin. You look up into the clear night sky. The moon hangs up there like a soft, comforting lamp. As your eyes drift away from the moon, you notice the twinkling stars. Did you ever wonder if they all twinkle the same way? They pulse, but at different rates and at different brightnesses. You smile because there's an infinity up there, and you get to be in it. How did that look? Next, let's go to a playground full of children. They're running around. Some are playing hopscotch. There's a group of them pretending to move mountains with the toy trucks in the sandbox. You hear the screech of the kids' sneakers on the slide. You walk over to the swings. You hear kids laughing with delight, but can you hear the slight clank of the chains on the swing when one of the kids gets off and runs off to their next adventure? Ah, yes, isn't that just joy filling the air? Let's take a walk on a beach. Fill your senses with the sound of the waves, sunlight glistening on the waves, the feel of sunshine on your skin. You smack your lips a bit and taste salt. And what do you smell? There you go, yes, that crisp, salty smell of the ocean. That's it. A journey of 5 senses. And what a journey you took. Feel refreshed? Relaxed? Finding comfort in turbulence is just a moment away. You can transport yourself to delectable moment. Aliven your senses. Want to elevate that activity? Go through each sense. Experience one at a time. And journal each excursion. Each one, a sensorial journey, is like a mini staycation. Try this: Answer each question in 10 words or less. How does sunshine feel on your skin? How would you describe the taste of a carrot? What do the changing leaves in fall look like? What does pumpkin smell like? What did the sound of waves on the beach sound like? I have a 4-year-old granddaughter, and she's adorable. If you want to get an A+ on this assignment, imagine how a 4-year-old would describe these sensations to you. Try journaling that. For example, the sound of waves. I imagine she would look at me with a gleam in her eyes and with a squeal in her voice and say, Papa, it's bubbly! As I was writing this blog post, a sunbeam popped through my window and onto my desk. Take a closer look at this week's picture. My window and the sun collaborated to work their magic as a prism and gifted me a rainbow right in front of me. I stopped and examined each color finding greens, deep reds, and the darkest purple my eyes could detect. A delectable moment. Your journey to comfort in turbulent times is just one magical moment away. Live 100% empowered, powered by the beauty all around you.
