Hello,
My friends.
My name is Kalyani,
And I invite you to join me for a short and sweet,
Powerful break from your day.
Please allow each mindful minute's practice to be a soft landing,
A gentle reorientation,
A way of remembering yourself in the midst of the chaos of everyday life,
Bringing peace to your mind and ease to your body as we regulate our nervous system in small,
Bite-sized practices.
You deserve this time to feel better.
Today's topic is listening.
Take a few long,
Slow breaths as together we push the pause button on our day,
Inviting the eyes to close gently for a few moments,
Sitting up tall in a chair,
Scanning your body quickly from the top of your head all the way down to your feet,
Noticing sensations without judgment,
Observing any areas that are tight or tense,
Accepting all that you uncover without judgment,
No need to change a thing,
Simple awareness,
Awaken your sense of hearing,
Noticing sounds around you,
Move your attention from one sound to the next,
No need to label sound as good or bad.
All sound is simply vibration.
Begin to feel your ears hearing.
Throughout our time together,
We will hear all of these sounds and more.
Each time we hear a sound,
We have a choice.
You can view that sound as a distraction,
Drawing your attention away from your breath and your practice,
Or you can view that sound as a gentle,
Loving reminder to give yourself the gift of your total awareness for this little sliver of time.
You deserve all of your attention.
As the saying goes,
We have two ears and one mouth,
So we can listen twice as much as we speak.
It's not easy for some of us.
We may find ourselves rushing to speak,
Fearing we will forget our point,
Or rushing to be heard,
Needing to prove ourselves.
But in this brief pause from our day,
Let's explore the relationship between quick listening and slow speaking.
Excessive talk is the enemy of listening.
Take a moment to slow down.
Seek to understand.
Listen with genuine curiosity.
Your awareness is a gift.
Validation.
Showing others that what they have to say matters to you.
Be fully present.
Creating a safe space where they can be heard.
Fostering trust.
Embrace understanding.
Showing respect and love.
Listening to gain a deeper understanding,
Instead of just to respond.
Commit to listening more than you speak.
Take this time now to simply listen.
Creating a quiet space where your inner guidance can be heard.
No forcing.
Gentle allowing.
Come back to your breath now.
Allowing your breath to find its own comfortable rhythm and pace.
Letting go of the busyness of your day.
Allowing yourself to be filled with gratitude.
Sending gratitude into your mind and body.
For the ability to pause.
Letting go of the busyness of your day.
For this brief moment of awareness.
Cultivating gratitude for the gift of your breath.
And remember you can return to the breath.
Whenever life overwhelms.
Coming back to this place of peace and calm within.
By simply deepening your breath.
Make today a great day my friends.