Pause, Relax, Open

This five minute meditation invites the body to calm down and drop into the moment. The practice "pause, relax, open" can be especially helpful in moments when we're caught in reactivity or notice the grip of familiar thought and behavioral patterns. By pausing, relaxing, and opening, we interrupt this habitual process.

Transcript

Find whatever position feels most comfortable and supportive for you,

Whether that's lying on the ground or sitting in a chair.

Just making sure to find a comfortable position that feels supportive.

And if it feels right for you,

You can let your eyes close or just let them rest on a point out in front of you,

And pause.

You might imagine that you're able to pause everything that's going on around you,

All the movement of the world,

The people around you,

All the things going on.

And in this pause,

You have the space to come sit with yourself,

To let the dust settle.

Just taking a moment to notice what the activity of your mind is like,

How your body's feeling,

The rhythm of your breathing,

And just seeing if you can be with it all.

Just noticing in this space of pausing.

And now you might see if you can invite a little bit of softness into the body.

Just noticing if there's any areas in the body that have maybe just been waiting for this moment of pausing to let go a little bit,

To relax.

Maybe loosening your jaw and softening your shoulders,

Letting there be a softness in the hands,

Letting yourself sink into the support of the chair or the ground,

Maybe taking a few deep breaths,

Letting go with each exhale,

Relaxing.

And now notice as you invite your body to relax,

If there's areas that are becoming more open.

Maybe there's a greater sense of openness in the forehead or in the area of the heart,

Maybe in the belly.

Just notice if there's anywhere in the body or even in the mind that feels a little more open and see if you can expand this space of openness,

Letting it fill your body and then letting it move out beyond you so that you begin to open yourself,

Maybe even just a tiny bit,

To the world around you,

Opening up to nature,

Trees,

Fresh air,

Sun,

Maybe even opening to the love around you.

And we'll end this session together with a deep breath,

Taking a deep inhale through the nose,

Letting the lungs expand,

And then a slow sigh or exhale.