Journaling for mind-body connection

Explore what it means to be connected and attuned to your body and your five senses with these journal prompts designed to help you on the journey to live an embodied life. We’ll begin with journal prompts that explore your connection to your five senses, and end with journal prompts to help you reflect on what it means to you to live an embodied life.

Journal prompts for embodiment

Write about a childhood memory of having a pleasant emotional response to a sound, scent, or taste. Write down everything you can remember about the experience and how it felt. What emotions did you experience? What physical sensations were associated with those emotions?
Think about a texture that you find pleasant (this could be a food texture, clothing texture, etc.). Write about this texture in as much detail as possible. What does it feel like? What emotions do you associate with it? Why do you think you find this texture pleasant?
In an average day, how often do you consciously pay attention to and experience pleasant sensations associated with sound? Take a few deep breaths and then try to lightly focus on only the sounds you are hearing for 5 minutes. Describe the sounds you heard. How did you feel focusing on sound for a few minutes? What emotions arose for you? What physical sensations were associated with those emotions? What thoughts arose?
Think about a time a particularly beautiful sight moved you emotionally. Write about what you saw and how it felt. What emotions did this experience bring up? Why do you think this particular sight was so emotionally powerful for you?
What song do you have the strongest emotional reaction to? What emotions does this song bring up? Write about the first time you remember this song bringing up strong emotions for you.
In an average day, how often do you consciously pay attention to and experience pleasant sensations associated with scent? Take a few deep breaths and then try to lightly focus on only your sense of smell for 5 minutes. Describe the smells you experienced. How did you feel focusing on only your sense of smell for a few minutes? What emotions arose for you? What physical sensations were associated with those emotions? What thoughts arose?

What sound brings up the strongest emotions for you? What emotions does this sound bring up? Write about a time when this sound brought up strong emotions. Why does this sound bring up strong feelings for you?
Write about a time when touch brought you comfort (this could be a hug from someone, time spent with a pet, a blanket with a particular texture, etc.). What did the experience feel like? What emotions did the experience bring up?
In an average day, how often do you consciously pay attention to and experience pleasant sensations associated with touch? Take a few deep breaths and then try to lightly focus on only the sensation of touch for 5 minutes (close your eyes and put in ear plugs if it helps). Describe what you felt. How did you feel focusing on touch for a few minutes? What emotions arose for you? What physical sensations were associated with those emotions? What thoughts arose?
Think about a time you tasted something bitter and describe the experience in detail. Think about a time you tasted something salty and describe the experience in detail. Think about a time you tasted something sour and describe the experience in detail. Think about a time you tasted something sweet and describe the experience in detail. Did you consciously remember noticing all of these details in the moment of the experience?
Look at this list of scents and write about a memory that you have related to one of these scents: pine, dirt, perfume, orange, lavender, roses, grass, cinnamon, coffee, tea, jasmine, lemon.
In an average day, how often do you consciously pay attention to and experience pleasant sensations associated with what you see? Take a few deep breaths and then try to lightly focus on only what you can see for 5 minutes. Describe what you felt. How did you feel focusing on your sense of sight for a few minutes? What emotions arose for you? What physical sensations were associated with those emotions? What thoughts arose?
What taste brings up the strongest emotions for you? What emotions does this taste bring up? Write about a time when this taste brought up strong emotions. Why does this taste bring up strong feelings for you?
Is it easier to pay attention to some of your senses than others? Which senses are easier to pay attention to? Which senses are more difficult to pay attention to? Why do you think that is?

Photo of woman with eyes closed outside smelling pink flower.

When you’re eating, how connected are you usually to your sense of taste? Are there times it’s easier to connect with your sense of taste when you’re eating? Are there times it’s more difficult to connect with your sense of taste when you’re eating? How does the degree of connection you’re feeling to your sense of taste impact the experience of eating?
What scent brings up the strongest emotions for you? What emotions does this scent bring up? Write about a time when this scent brought up strong emotions. Why does this scent bring up strong feelings for you?
How connected do you feel to your body on a daily basis? How often do you pay conscious attention to the physical sensations of your body and your senses? Are there times of day it’s easier to feel connected to your body? Are there times of day it’s more difficult to feel connected to your body? Are there certain activities that make you feel more or less connected to your body? Are there certain people whose presence tends to make you feel more or less connected to your body?
Take a few deep breathes in and out. Take a few minutes to notice your body and the sensations associated with consciously noticing your body. What emotions arose when you consciously paid attention to your body? What thoughts arose when you consciously paid attention to your body?
Do you want to feel more connected to your body on a daily basis? Why or why not? If you do want to feel more connected to your body on a daily basis, write about what your life would feel and look like if you were more connected to your body on a daily basis.
Write a short story about a day in the life of someone who is very connected to their body. What does their daily life look like? What do they do? What does their emotional life look like? What kinds of things do they think about? What kinds of things do they say? What is it like to be around this person?
Re-read the short story you wrote about someone who is very connected to their body. What can this story tell you about what you think it means to live a life connected to your body?
Write a short story about a day in the life of someone who is very disconnected from their body. What does their daily life look like? What do they do? What does their emotional life look like? What kinds of things do they think about? What kinds of things do they say? What is it like to be around this person?
Re-read the short story you wrote about someone very disconnected from their body. What can this story tell you about what you think it means to live a life disconnected from your body?
What is the hardest thing about being connected to your body and the sensations, experiences, emotions, and thoughts that accompany that?
What is the best thing about being connected to your body and the sensations, experiences, emotions, and thoughts that accompany that?
Has the degree to which you’re connected with your body and your five senses on a regular basis changed over time? If so, what time periods in your life did you feel most connected to your body? What time periods in your life did you feel least connected to your body? What about these time periods do you think accounted for this change?
Who is someone in your life that you view as especially connected to their body and the physical experiences of their life? (This can even be a celebrity or fictional character.) Why do you view this person as being particularly connected to their body? Do you see any similarities between this person and you?
Who is someone in your life that you view as especially disconnected from their body and the physical experiences of their life? (This can even be a celebrity or fictional character.) Why do you view this person as being particularly disconnected from their body? Do you see any similarities between this person and you?
When you feel particularly connected with your body and your physical experience, how do you talk to yourself? What thoughts commonly arise when you feel particularly connected to your body? When you feel particularly disconnected with your body and your physical experience, how do you talk to yourself? What thoughts commonly arise when you feel particularly disconnected from your body?
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself from this journaling exercise?