Much more than a concept, dignity is a way of seeing, being, and acting towards yourself and others. For this assignment, we invite you to focus on your own dignity by practicing taking care of your body.  For one week, we invite you to spend 5-10 minutes each day on any of the following activities: feel free to use as many or as few as you wish but focus on at least one each day.

• During meals- pick one meal or one snack during the day that you will choose to eat with intention by slowing down your eating, tasting each bite, noticing how it feels in your mouth as you consume it, noticing the different ingredients, smelling the food, etc.
• While walking- focus on the way the ground feels beneath your feet, the way the weight shifts from side to side as you walk, take in your environment by looking at the details of what surrounds you, notice if you can smell any scents or hear any sounds.
• Showering or washing your hands- this can be a rich activity for your senses.  Rather than thinking about what you might have to do next as you shower or wash your hands, we invite you to perceive how the water feels on your skin, notice its temperature, smell the scent of the soap, listen to the sound of the running water, etc.
• Petting your dog/cat- spend time noticing what it feels like for all your senses to play or pet your cat or dog (i.e. if you are throwing the ball you can focus on your own movement or if petting your dog/cat you can smell their paws, touch or brush their hair, etc.)
• If you have young children, you might choose their night bath as the time to be present to your own experience through your senses—notice the sounds of your child’s voice over the running water, the feeling of the shampoo on your hands as you wash their hair, etc.
• Other simple activities that focus on your body can be:

• • moisturizing your hands or feet

• • noticing and enjoying the smell and taste of your cup of coffee or tea in the morning

• • focus as you color, draw, or paint

• As you can see these activities should not take extra time out of your day, but rather we invite you to pick an activity you are already doing and experience it with attention and intention. 

In your E-Portfolio, share which activity (or activities) you chose, and write a short paragraph describing your experience.  Alternatively, you could instead submit a photograph with a caption of the activity you chose; the caption should include your take-away from this activity.

Remember that you are doing the activity once each day for a week; repetition in this exercise is meant as a pathway into deepening awareness and increasing your ability to be present.