Welcome my friends to this meditation for busy minds.
Take a moment to arrive not just physically but mentally,
Spiritually,
Emotionally.
Let your whole body arrive and if you can sit comfortably.
Or lie down if your body's asking for rest today.
Let your hands soften.
Let your shoulders drop.
And if it feels safe,
Gently close your eyes or lower your gaze.
Take a slow breath in through your nose.
And a longer breath out through your mouth.
Again,
Inhale.
Exhale.
And for the next few minutes,
You don't have anything to manage.
You don't have to anticipate the next demand,
The next email,
The next phone call,
The next meeting.
You don't have to hold it all together.
You can set it down just for a moment.
Begin noticing your breath.
Not fixing it.
Not improving it.
Just noticing.
The inhale comes in.
The exhale leaves.
All you need to do is stay with it.
And if your mind's still busy,
That's okay.
If thoughts are still looping,
That's okay.
My meditation teacher,
Jack Kornfield,
He says that the mind secretes thoughts like the salivary gland secretes saliva,
My friends.
The thoughts just happen.
Allow them to.
You've trained your mind to stay alert your whole life.
To problem solve.
To care deeply with your whole heart and mind.
About several things all at once.
There's nothing wrong with you.
Overthinking is not failure.
I will repeat,
Overthinking is not failure.
It's an overdeveloped strength.
Now,
Gently shift your attention to your body.
Notice where you're holding pressure or tension.
Could be the neck.
Could be the chest,
The jaw,
The stomach,
The back,
The hips.
That's a big one for me.
Maybe somewhere else entirely.
And there's no right or wrong here.
You might softly say to an area of tension,
You don't have to be strong right now.
And just let it soften,
Even if it's five percent.
Not forcing,
Just easing a little.
That's enough.
Now,
I want you to imagine your thoughts like traffic,
Right,
On a busy highway.
Cars rushing by,
Headlights,
Horns beeping,
Movement,
Activity.
Most of the day,
You're running in the middle of that traffic.
Dodging,
Ducking,
Reacting,
Trying to keep up.
But right now,
I want you to step off the road.
Step away from the marketplace.
You're not shutting down the traffic.
You're simply moving to the sidewalk.
Watching the cars go by instead of being inside them.
A thought appears,
There it goes.
Another one,
And another,
And another.
You don't have to chase them.
You don't have to avoid them.
You don't have to engage.
Just watch.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
The traffic continues,
My friend,
But you are steadier.
Like a tall,
Strong oak tree,
Your mind is strong.
But if your mind pulls you back in,
That's okay.
Just notice it,
And gently step back out again.
No criticism,
No judgment,
No ego.
Each time you return to the breath,
That's the practice.
Each time you return,
It strengthens your nervous system.
Now,
Bring a hand to the center of your chest.
The heart space,
Anahata in Sanskrit.
Feel the rise on the inhale,
And the fall on the exhale.
And you might silently say to yourself,
Right now,
It's like this.
Right now,
It's like this.
Let those words land.
Now,
You might notice the chatter softening.
Or maybe it's still there,
But it feels less loud,
Less controlling.
Even that is progress.
Overthinking loses power when you stop believing every thought deserves your attention.
Because my friend,
All thoughts are real,
But not all thoughts are true.
So right now,
Presence matters more than perfection.
Breath matters more than control.
Kindness matters more than ambition.
Imagine moving through the rest of your day from this steadier,
Stable place.
Still capable,
Still engaged in life,
Still whole,
But less clenched,
Less tension,
Less storm inside your head,
More space,
More trust,
More room to breathe.
This is the nervous system reset that allows you to show up better.
For yourself,
Primarily.
For work.
For family.
For those you love.
Now,
Take one more slow,
Deep inhale.
And a long,
Relaxing exhale.
Let it go.
Begin to notice your body again.
Maybe wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes,
Roll your shoulders gently.
And when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
And as you step back into your world,
My friend,
Remember this.
You don't have to think your way through every moment.
You are allowed to feel your way through.
You are allowed to breathe,
To be human.
And when the mental noise returns,
You now know how to step to the side and come back home.
Thank you,
My friend.
Namaste.
