Five Finger Exercise
- ameditation for a simple pick-me-up when you are feeling gloomy and down on yourself.
Come to a sitting meditation posture. Take several deep breaths and let the tension from your body release. Close your eyes and let any thoughts flow through you until you aren’t thinking so much. Be still.
Become aware of your dominate hand. Turn your palm face up.
Touch your thumb to your index finger. Think to your past to a time when you felt really cared for and loved. Perhaps you were ill and someone took gentle care of you. Perhaps someone did something unexpected to show how much they really love you. Focus on the feeling, not the memory. Breathe.
Touch your thumb to your middle finger. Think back to a time when you felt very successful. You achieved something you worked hard for, the birth of your children, graduation, a new job or promotion. Feel the feeling of happy success and let it flow through you with your breath.
Touch your thumb to your ring finger and remember a time when you gave selflessly to someone else. You did something just for them, without reward. Remember the feeling of giving and enjoying giving. Breathe.
Touch your thumb to your pinkie finger and look for a memory of loving someone else. Find a moment when you felt great love for someone else. Let your heart open to that feeling, let your whole body smile and revel in the feeling of love.
Bring your two hands together and place them in your heart. Just breathe and enjoy stillness of body and mind.
Open your eyes when you want to and smile as you start to continue with your day. Before standing, wiggle your fingers and tap your feet.
Practice this meditation whenever you need a reminder of how to feel good.
Based on a similar meditation in The Self-Esteem Companion- simple exercises to help you challenge your inner critic and celebrate your personal strengths.M. McKay, PH.D, Fanning, et al. Raincoast Books, New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 2005.