‘Pay attention, Jenkins!’ often followed by the board rubber flying across the classroom was a regular occurrence during my English lessons as a child.
Playing with attention has a very different feel: it is light and fun. It can bring a sense of curiosity, perhaps even a feeling of excitement at what we might discover as it is with children as they explore the world around them.
So, the invitation is to play with your attention in this moment:
- Sounds – that come and go, peak, and fall or simply are just ‘there’…
- Sights – objects, spaces between objects, reflections, shadows, shapes…
- Grounded – feet on the floor, heels, toes, balls of the feet, arches…
- Fabric on skin – feeling tight or lose, smooth or textured, warming or cooling…
- Breath – tight and restrictive, or natural and free-flowing, or something else…
Working through this checklist, in this moment, can take 30 seconds to 3 minutes or longer if you wish. Become aware of how you feel afterwards – any different from before?
Feel free to play with one or all of these ‘sense stores’, once a day or several times a day, indoors or outdoors… your choice: an opportunity to play with attention, to be curious – the way it is with children.