I'd like to introduce a key practice that you can try throughout your day to help you break out of automatic pilot and to create some space between our stresses and habitual reactions.
The acronym is STOP,
Which stands for Stop,
Take a Breath,
Observe,
Observing your body,
Sensations,
Feelings,
How your mind is,
And then proceeding with what's most important right now.
So let's practice this together for a moment and then you could try it out on your own many times throughout the day.
Some people find it helpful to set reminders on their phones or perhaps you could place post-it notes around the house,
Taking a moment to find your seat,
A sense of a straight spine,
But not rigid,
A comfortable,
Relaxed position.
You're welcome to keep your eyes open or closed,
Taking a few deep breaths,
Gathering your attention.
So here we are,
We can stop and become aware of the breath and taking a moment to notice where you feel the breath the most,
Perhaps at the belly,
Chest,
Or nose.
If the breath isn't accessible,
We can notice our feet on the floor or become aware of our hands or notice where the body is in contact with whatever is supporting it,
Allowing the breath or the body to become an anchor to this moment.
Noticing if there is any tension or tightness in the body or perhaps ease and not judging any of it as good or bad or right or wrong,
Just observing what's here right now and doing this we can become aware of our emotions.
How we're feeling in this moment,
Is there a sense that we're frustrated,
Irritated,
Or bored,
Or maybe feeling excitement or joy?
Again,
Not judging what we're noticing,
But just being aware of it and letting it be.
And we can also pay attention to our mind and notice what thoughts are present right now.
Does our mind feel busy or calm,
Cloudy or clear?
And with this awareness,
We can ask ourselves,
What's most important right now?
What are we wanting to do in this next moment?
And as the answer arises,
Continuing with that.
