Begin by getting comfortable.
Sit on the floor or in a chair.
Recline in a comfortable place.
Adjust.
Align.
Settle into the support.
As you do,
Acknowledge any feelings of burnout,
Overwhelm,
Stress,
Or tension you may be experiencing.
Be aware of them.
See them.
Feel them.
Or in identifying your feeling,
Naming them,
You reveal them for what they are.
Feelings.
Emotions.
Emotions that can change like water from one moment to the next.
They may even begin to transform simply by noticing them.
Now notice your breathing.
Your breathing is the gateway to the present.
Each breath an opportunity to come back to right here,
Right now.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Acknowledge any distraction that contributes to feeling overwhelmed and burned out.
External distraction from the senses.
Mental distraction of the thinking mind.
Emotional distraction or stress.
Physical distraction,
Tension,
Or discomfort.
Breathe in.
Breathe out and unplug from distraction.
Scan your body and notice physical distraction,
Tension,
Or other sensation.
Just acknowledge it for now.
That's enough.
And now you will begin to tense,
Squeeze,
Or contract the area cued as you breathe in.
And relax it as you breathe out,
Connecting with areas of tension and consciously releasing them.
Beginning with your hands.
Breathe in and squeeze your fists.
Squeeze your whole arms.
Breathe out.
Release.
Now your feet.
Breathe in and curl your toes.
Tense your feet and all of your legs.
Breathe out.
Release.
Now your head and face.
Breathe in and squeeze.
Breathe out.
Relax.
Now your upper chest and back.
Contract.
And release.
Now the lower abdomen.
Breathe in and squeeze the low back,
Belly,
Pelvic floor.
Breathe out.
Release.
Breathe in and tense the entire torso.
Breathe out and release.
Now breathe in and contract the whole body.
Breathe out.
Relax all over.
Resettle and adjust one last time.
As you become settled and grounded,
Turn your attention away from external distraction.
Close your eyes.
If there are sounds,
Let them come and go without needing to name them.
Go inward.
Disconnect from the outside and ground your attention in your breathing.
Just noticing it at first.
Watching it.
Feeling it.
Listening to its sound.
Where do you notice it most?
In your nose?
Or chest?
Or belly?
Connect with this spot.
Rest your attention in this anchor point.
Breath by breath.
When you find you've become distracted,
Acknowledge it.
Come right back to your anchor spot.
Begin to even out your breathing,
Matching the inhale and the exhale.
It helps count the length of the inhale and the length of the exhale.
For example,
Breath in 1,
2,
3,
And out 1,
2,
3.
Breath in 1,
2,
3,
And out 1,
2,
3.
Keep going in your own time.
Now begin to extend the exhale longer than the inhale.
If you're counting,
Make the exhale to count longer than the inhale.
For example,
Breath in 1,
2,
3,
And out 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Breath in 1,
2,
3,
And out 1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
Keep going.
Finishing with an exhale,
Let go of the counting.
Let go of controlling your breathing.
Connect with its sound.
Listen as you breathe in for the sound,
I.
And as you breathe out,
Listen for the sound,
Am.
I am.
I am.
Simply I am.
Breathe in.
Breathe out and let go,
Grounding your awareness in the simple truth.
I am.
Knowing that you are not your body.
Your thoughts and feelings do not define you.
You are not your story or the labels you wear in the world.
You are the one who sees this.
I am.
I am a living,
Breathing being.
When you notice distraction,
Breathe in.
Breathe out and let it go.
Come back to the anchor of your breathing.
Each breath you recharge.
Every breath you affirm your own true nature.
The simple,
Fundamental truth.
I am.
I live.
I breathe.
I am.
If you notice physical distraction,
Tension or discomfort,
Acknowledge it.
It's okay just to notice it for now.
Breathe in.
Breathe out and let it go.
Turn back to your breathing.
Each breath you recharge.
Every breath you affirm the simple,
Fundamental truth.
I am.
Simply,
I am.
If you notice emotional distraction,
Tension or stress,
Acknowledge it.
Feel it.
Breathe into it.
Then breathe out and let it go.
Allow it to come into the light.
And then fade away.
Turn back to your breathing.
Breathe in.
Breathe out and let go.
Each breath you recharge.
Every breath you affirm the simple,
Unchanging truth.
I am.
If you notice mental distraction coming from the thinking mind,
Acknowledge it.
Notice any self-talk.
Notice its tone.
Notice repetitive thoughts.
Though you may be able to witness the thinking mind with uncommon clarity right now,
It's okay just to notice it for now.
Breathe in.
Breathe out and let it go.
Focus on your breathing.
Rest your attention in the sanctuary of your breathing.
Every breath you recharge.
Every breath you affirm your own true nature.
The simple,
Profound truth.
I am.
I live.
I breathe.
I am.
I am.
I am.
Come back now to the affirmation you carry with you with each breath.
I am.
I am.
I am a living,
Breathing being.
Come back to the sound.
I,
As you breathe in,
I am as you breathe out.
Come back to your anchor.
Breathing.
Expanding your awareness from there.
Noticing the sensations of breathing throughout your body.
When you are ready,
Begin to move the body.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Run your thumbs across your fingertips.
Lengthen your spine or stretch your limb.
Move as you feel guided.
And when you're ready,
Blink your eyes open again.
Take one more full breath in.
Let it go.
Feeling relaxed.
Feeling renewed.
Ready for the rest of your day.
Knowing that every moment,
Every day,
A reset and recharge is as close as a big breath in and a full breath out.
Shaun K whitney
