The Shift from Thinking to Sensing: What Meditation Means

Most of us live in our heads.

We wake up already thinking about the day ahead, the bills we need to pay, what someone said yesterday and what we should have said back. The mind constantly jumps timelines, dragging us into the past or pushing us into the future.

But here’s the truth: the present moment can only be experienced through the body, through the five senses, not through thinking.

You cannot think your way into presence.
You have to sense your way there.

What Is Presence? And How Do We Get There?

Presence isn’t a mystical state. It’s ordinary. It’s simple.
It’s what’s happening right now.

You don’t need to go on retreat or move to the mountains. You just need to pay attention.

Try this:

• Touch: Feel the weight of your body on the chair. Notice the texture of the clothes on your skin.

• Sight: Let your eyes rest gently on the movement of leaves in the trees or the steam rising from your cup of tea.

• Sound: Listen to the birds singing outside, the hum of the fridge, or the murmur of your own breath.

• Smell: Take in the scent of freshly brewed coffee, your soap in the shower, freshly mown grass.

• Taste: The delicious taste of that first mouthful of your favourite meal, or a sour lolly on your tongue.

These are the portals into being in the moment, right now.
No future. No past. Just now.

Real-Life Moments of Presence

You’ve been present before, you just may not have known it.

• Watching the sun rise and feeling your breath catch with the awe of the clouds, sky and colours.

• Listening to a song you love, and singing along with joy.

• Immersed in bathing in the ocean foam on a hot summer's day, where your thinking fades and you just feel.

• Holding a newborn, where the only thing that exists is the rise and fall of tiny breaths and the feel of velvet skin on your hand.

These are sensing moments, not thinking ones.
And the more we train our minds to notice them, the more peace we bring into our lives.

Meditation Is Training for the Brain

Meditation isn’t about “clearing the mind.” That’s a myth.
It’s about gently shifting your attention from the chaos of automatic thought… into the simplicity of sensing.

This is what every meditation practice teaches:
Focus your attention on a present-moment anchor (like the breath, body, or sound).
Notice when your mind wanders (because it will).
And gently bring your attention back.

This back-and-forth is the work. The back-and-forth is the practice.
Each time you return, you’re building new neural pathways, making it easier next time.

Over time, your brain gets better at focusing, calming down, and letting go of distractions. It’s rewiring itself so you can achieve your goal of more calm, more peace, more control.

What Is an “Anchor”?

An anchor is a stable, sensory subject or object you return to during meditation practice.
It helps you stay grounded in the now through one or more of your senses.

Some examples:

• Feeling/touch: Feeling the air enter and leave your nostrils or feeling the rise and fall of your belly with your breath.

• Sound/hearing: An internal mantra or an external sound like birds singing or classical music (or any music, really).

• Taste: Savouring of a captivating flavour while eating or drinking or holding something on your tongue.

• Sight: Gazing gently at a painting, a candle, a fireplace.

• Smell: Fragrant oils, a eucalyptus leaf, a rose.

When your attention wanders, you don’t resist and you don't "buy into" the thought. You simply notice and return to your anchor.

That’s it. That’s the practice.

Why It Matters: The Mind–Body Connection

When we live only in our heads, we miss out on the wisdom of the body.
It tells you when you’re tense, tired, angry, or joyful, if you are paying attention.

The more you practice tuning in, the more connected you become to your internal state.
And from that connection, self-awareness grows. Regulation becomes possible. Healing begins.

Your nervous system starts to recognise safety.
You soften.
You settle.
You start to live from your centre, not from survival.

In Summary: Meditation Isn’t a Luxury, It’s a Valuable Life Skill

It’s not about sitting cross-legged on a cushion or being “good at relaxing.”

It’s about learning to shift from thinking to sensing.
From reacting to responding.
From rushing to moving with maximum efficiency.

And it’s simple, accessible, and completely transformational.

You already have the tools: your breath, your body, your senses.

Meditation is the training ground.