In this guided meditation,
We will practice an exercise that I encourage you to bring into your experiences with others.
Humans are,
At the core,
Social creatures.
Rarely a day will go by where we will not interact with a single being.
And when we talk to other people,
Whether it be a loved one or even somebody who's bringing us food that we're ordering on the phone,
We can bring the practice of mindfulness into what we are saying and how we are communicating our experience of the world to others.
Through doing this,
We are proactively regulating our nervous system and creating opportunities of proactive calm to rewire our brain and our body into a state of healthy connection.
This simple exercise takes just a few minutes,
And you can utilize it at any time.
I recommend doing this once or twice a day while on the phone,
Talking with a loved one or during any social interaction.
Before opening your mouth to speak,
Bring mindful awareness to your intention.
Ask yourself,
Why are you going to say whatever you plan on saying?
Examine the possibility of saying it with even greater kindness or patience.
The simple act of even smiling while we speak changes the intonation of our voice and welcomes in connection.
Consider before you move into a communication whether your words are timely and useful in this moment.
We often gossip,
Interrupt,
Or talk simply to avoid uncomfortable silences.
Not every silence needs or wants to be filled.
Before you speak,
Mindfully ponder whether or not this is the appropriate time to talk and notice what the purpose of your words is and how they will be of service.
If it's possible that your words will put somebody else down,
Interrupt a person currently speaking,
Or even ring as untrue,
I invite you to practice mindfully reconsidering your choice of words.
The words we use and the messages we communicate are a choice.
Similarly,
If you notice that your words will put yourself down,
That your words will end up in a state of self-betrayal or self-sacrificing,
Connect in with your body and listen to the messages of your beingness and whether or not you want to choose to put yourself in that position.
Our brain and our body acts from old patterns and when we engage in mindful practice around our speech and our communication,
We are practicing how to proactively change those patterns.
While speaking,
Speak slowly and be mindful of the words you are using.
And when your partner in the conversation responds,
Observe how your body feels in response to what you have received.
Your body is a powerful tuning fork of information and for letting us know when we are on the right path to be in deep relationship with our self,
Our purpose,
And our intention.
Always remember that we cannot control those around us,
But we can bring mindful awareness to our own responses and allow them to empower the way we choose to be in relationship in each interaction we have.
The more you practice mindful speech,
The greater your capacity will become to navigate challenging conversations with ease.
Setting healthy boundaries,
Noticing mindful opportunities to disrupt a pattern of self-betrayal will become organic and natural.
The more you prioritize the opportunity for your brain and your body to be in relationship as a tuning fork for healing and resilience,
The stronger and more empowered you will become.
