Welcome.
In this moment,
Let's create a brief but powerful pause in your busy day.
This is your dedicated space to reset.
To find a moment of stillness amidst the activity without needing to solve anything or change anything about your current circumstances.
Begin by gently shifting your attention inward.
You might be at your desk,
In a quiet corner,
Or simply taking a moment where you are.
Allow yourself to settle.
Finding a comfortable position that feels supportive to your body.
Feel the chair beneath you or the ground supporting your feet.
Take a gentle grounding breath in through the nose,
Feeling the air expand your chest and abdomen,
And then slowly exhale through your mouth,
Allowing any tension to begin to release.
Repeat this once more,
A slow,
Steady inhale,
And a soft,
Complete exhale.
Now,
Bring a brief check-in with your body.
Notice any sensations present.
Perhaps tightness in your shoulders,
A clenching in your jaw,
Or a general sense of restlessness.
There's no need to judge these sensations.
Simply acknowledge them with kindness as information.
In our modern world,
Busyness often feels like a badge of honour,
A sign of importance or value.
We can easily fall into the trap of believing that our worth is directly tied to how busy we are,
How much we accomplish,
Or how many tasks we can juggle.
But let's take a moment to acknowledge that busyness is primarily a state of mind.
Not a fundamental proof of your value.
Your inherent worth is constant and unwavering,
Regardless of your workload or the pace of your day.
You are valuable simply because you are.
Now,
Gently expand your awareness to include your immediate surroundings,
Without opening your eyes if they are closed.
Simply notice the sounds around you,
Perhaps the hum of a computer,
Distant voices,
The subtle sounds of the building.
You don't need to interpret these sounds or label them.
Just allow them to be part of the present moment,
Without judgement.
Notice any light or shadows,
The temperature of the air on your skin.
Simply allow your senses to register the environment,
Without getting caught up in analysis.
If you're feeling a sense of overwhelm,
Please know that this is a common and natural response to a demanding environment.
Overwhelm is not a flaw.
It's a sign from your system that the mind has become too busy,
Too engaged in trying to manage too many things at once.
It's fuelled by a rapid stream of thoughts,
Predictions and judgements about what needs to be done or what might go wrong.
This doesn't mean anything has gone wrong with you.
Instead of trying to fight this feeling or push it away,
Let's gently guide our attention beneath it,
Beneath the layers of mental chatter,
Beneath the urgency of your to-do list,
Beneath the intensity of your emotions,
There's a quieter,
More spacious awareness.
This is your inherent calm,
Your natural clarity,
Which is always present,
Just sometimes obscured by the noise of the day.
Return your attention to your breath,
Feeling its unwavering presence.
As you breathe,
Allow your focus to soften.
Let thoughts come and go,
Like clouds passing in the wide sky.
You are the sky,
Unchanging and vast,
Capable of holding everything that passes through it.
You are not the clouds,
Or the winds,
Or the storm.
Rest in this awareness,
This stillness.
You don't need to find solutions right now.
You don't need to analyse your situation.
You just need to be present with what is,
Trusting that clarity and focus will naturally re-emerge from this state of rest and openness.
As we gently bring this short practice to a close,
Prepare to re-enter your day,
Not with force or renewed pressure,
But with a sense of spaciousness.
Permission yourself to carry this inner calm with you.
You are not defined by the speed of your day.
You have the capacity to navigate its demands from a place of inner stillness.
Take one more deep,
Conscious breath,
Feeling grounded and centred.
And as you open your eyes,
Or re-engage with your environment,
Know that you can return to this calm awareness,
This focus,
This sense of peace,
Whenever you need it.
You are resilient.
You are capable.
And you carry your own calm within.
