Hi there,
My name is Hilary Lafon and I'm so grateful that you've joined me today to explore a quick transitional work meditation.
All of us have work to do during the day,
Whether we are in the corporate world,
Hospitality,
Working at home,
Whatever it is we find that we do,
We have many transitions and sometimes we're moving so fast that we bring along each activity into the next and it feels as though the day goes by so fast and we just can't keep up and we're overwhelmed.
So let's take five minutes today going through a breath exercise,
A grounding exercise,
A transitional exercise to help us get ready for the next thing.
So wherever you find yourself,
Place your phone down,
Turn off your computer or turn away from it,
You can do this exercise standing,
Sitting,
Lying or walking.
All we need is our breath,
Our beautiful glorious breath that never leaves us.
We have the gift to always be in the present moment if we just listen to our breath.
So wherever this mindfulness exercise finds you,
Be kind to yourself and let go of anything you were just doing.
If it helps to close your eyes for a moment to center yourself,
If your mind is too busy and the eyes are moving,
Have your gaze be cast down.
And a good rule of thumb for these quick exercises is to think of four things,
Relaxing our body,
Inviting our mind,
Listening to our heart and setting an intention.
So let's start with our breath,
Inhaling and exhaling.
Noticing if you're taking a shallow breath or a deep breath and we really want those deep belly breaths that lets our vagus nerve tell our body it's time to rest and digest.
Let's get out of the fight or flight mode,
Let's get into the present moment relaxation mode.
So inhaling deeply,
Feeling that cool wonderful air moving in,
Chest rise,
Stomach expand and as you exhale feeling a little bit warmer air leaving your body.
Your thoughts might be racing and busy but just stay focused on the breath.
We choose an anchor point,
Your nose,
Your chest,
Watching the breath go in and out.
Let's do a few more of these deep breaths,
Inhaling completely and exhaling.
Inhale and exhale.
As your breath comes to its natural rhythm just feel your body start to relax even if you're so tense there's nothing you can do to relax.
Energetically send a message to your body whether it's I am relaxing,
Maybe you think about the beach or the mountains.
Breathe and settle in.
Allow your body to relax.
Keep being aware of your breath and now for a moment listen to what your heart says.
We live in a mind based society where we're doing,
Always doing,
Always producing but your heart lives in the present moment.
So what does your heart need?
What does it tell you?
Is it telling you to slow down,
To take a deeper breath?
Is it telling you that maybe you need to cancel the next appointment or the next activity later in the day?
Have you planned too much?
Have you packed too much in your day?
And now set your intention.
I will walk into this building confident and ready to do what I need.
I will crush this meeting.
I will be present for my family,
My friends.
I will let go.
Whatever your intention is set it,
Honor it and now let's end our time together with a few deep breaths.
Walking it all in,
You got this.
Just five minutes can make a difference.
Inhaling through the nose,
Exhaling through the nose or the mouth,
Shaking it out with your palms,
Your hands,
Having movement in your body.
One more time,
Inhale and exhale.
Thank you for allowing me the precious gift of your time.
Until next time.
