Pay attention to the people, objects, animals, plants, and buildings around you. Try doing this in a different place every day. Start at home, then try it at an office, park, mall, grocery store, or a local landmark.
For example, you might be at a store. What does the sign say? Is there anything on the windows? How many carts are lined up outside? If you’re walking through a neighborhood, you might study the different mailboxes, lawn ornaments, plants, or toys out in the yard.
Instead of listening to music on your commute, describe your surroundings. On the bus, you might notice that there are five people on it, that the bus is making a rumbling noise, and that there is a musty smell. When you take a walk, listen to the sounds of nature, such as birds singing or the wind rustling through the trees. Think about how the sun feels on your skin or how brightly colored the flowers are.
What did you see? Was it a certain color, size, or shape? Where was the object? How it was placed in relation to other objects? What kinds of sounds were going on around you? What types of sensations did you feel? Who was there? What were they wearing? What were they doing?
For example, instead of “I saw some kids playing outside,” you might write, “I saw four kids playing outside with one ball. ” Instead of saying “I had to sign a bunch of documents,” keep track of what you did. You might observe that you signed your name four different times on two different documents.
Once you have mastered memorizing objects, try becoming more specific. List as many details about the objects as you can. How big are they? In what order are they arranged? How many are there?
Try to describe the small, background details as well as the subject of the piece. For example, if it is a portrait, try to recall what the person is wearing, the room they are in, and any other objects around them. If the piece is a large landscape, you should try to remember where geographical features are. Are there trees in the picture? If so, which side of the painting were they on? Are they above or below something else? The Metropolitan Museum has a great collection of art online that you can use for this exercise: http://www. metmuseum. org/art/collection.
Time yourself as you play this game. Each time you play, try to beat your record. You can buy a set of cards designed for this game from a toy store or online. You can also use a regular deck of cards, although each number will have more than one match.
If you start losing your train of thought, it’s OK. Just steer your concentration back to your breath. You may only be able to meditate for a few minutes at first, but you will get better over time.
For example, if you smell something cooking, guess what food it is. Does it smell like meat, spices, or baked goods? Is it close to you or faint and faraway? If you hear a knocking noise, evaluate your surroundings. Is it coming from a certain wall? Is it a consistent patter or an erratic beat? What might someone be doing to make that noise?
What different flavors do I notice? Do the flavors change as I chew? What is the texture like? Does this food leave a particular aftertaste?
What is the texture of the object? Is it smooth, bumpy, ridged, or soft? Does it feel hot, cold, or neither? What shape is it? Does it open? Is there a button or other moveable part on it? When you shake it, do you feel something rattling inside? Does it make a noise?
