Stop.
And invite three to four deep relaxation breaths.
Breathing in a sense of presence and breathing out and releasing any unnecessary tension.
Observe what's actually right here and right now.
Notice the sensations that are present.
If there's any contraction.
Notice the mind.
Is it busy or quiet?
And notice the heart.
The emotional presence that is here right now.
Allowing whatever's here to be held in acceptance.
Observing with kindness.
Now just really allowing whatever you've noticed just to recede into the background.
As you gather the attention once again upon the breath.
Breathing in.
Knowing that you're breathing in.
Breathing out.
Knowing that you're breathing out.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
Allow everything else to fall away as you take this next minute to just fall away.
Follow each breath as it unfolds.
One breath to the next.
And now expanding the attention once again.
Carrying with you some of this quiet and stillness that you cultivated upon the breath.
As you expand the attention,
Notice the sounds in the room.
Notice how the body,
Mind,
And heart are right now.
Similar or different.
Invite some gentle movements in the body.
And if the eyes are closed,
You're welcome to open them slowly.
And the R of SOBER stands for Respond.
The SOBER breathing space is a short practice that can be used formally as a meditation and informally in our day-to-day lives.
That in the midst of busyness or emotion or feeling triggered,
That we can invite this precious opportunity to stop,
To observe what's actually here,
To gather the attention upon the breath even for a minute,
And then to expand again,
Allowing the quietude and stillness of this pause to inform how we respond versus react to whatever our circumstances offer.
