Welcome to this STOP mindfulness micro-practice.
This is a fabulous practice whenever you need to redirect your thoughts,
Emotions,
And actions.
Anytime you notice you need a moment of mindfulness,
For example,
When you've been triggered by something stressful at work,
Or maybe someone said something in a meeting and you're about to respond in a way that you may later regret.
STOP gives you the chance to pause in face of your reaction.
Creates a space for you to observe your feelings and your thoughts,
And allows you to access deeper resources within you so you can respond from a much better place.
STOP's an acronym,
Each letter standing for a part of the process.
S is for stop,
T is for take,
O for observe,
And P for proceed.
Each of these steps can just take a few moments to complete.
So if you take a moment now to get yourself comfortable in a position that is comfortable,
But yet also alert,
Maybe sitting up or laying down,
Or even standing up,
You can close your eyes or take a soft downward gaze with your eyes.
And we'll go through the STOP practice together.
So when you're ready,
Let's start with the first letter,
S for stop.
Stop or pause what you're doing.
Give yourself a few moments to come to rest,
To pause,
And to collect yourself.
Moving on to T,
Take a few slow,
Deep,
Conscious breaths.
Becoming aware of the breath as it gently comes all the way into your body,
And as it gently leaves your body.
Watching the in-breath and watching the out-breath.
Maybe taking a moment to notice where,
For you,
You feel the breath most prominently in the body in this moment.
Maybe the tip of the nose,
The chest,
Or the belly.
And if you like,
Just laying your hand gently on your chest or belly,
So you can feel the physical sensations of breathing more easily.
Moving on to step three,
O for observe.
Beginning to observe your experience right now in this moment,
Becoming aware of your body,
Noticing the position of your body,
Becoming aware of any sensations that are here.
Maybe there's tension,
Tightness,
Constriction,
Or maybe your body feels relaxed,
Light,
At ease.
Bringing attention to the sensations of your feet,
Supported by the floor underneath you.
Feeling that support,
Relaxing into it a little bit.
Sensing,
Too,
Into any emotions that are here right now.
Frustration,
Irritation,
Anger,
Or maybe boredom,
Restlessness,
Or a sense of calm,
Or even joy.
Not judging what you find as we go through these observations as either good or bad,
Or right or wrong.
Just being aware of what's already here and letting it all be just as it is.
Bringing attention to the mind now.
Noticing thoughts.
Is your mind here in the present moment,
Or has it wandered off into the past,
Ruminating,
Or forecasting and worrying about the future?
And if you find that's the case,
Just gently bringing your attention back to now.
Noticing,
Too,
Whether the mind is busy or calm,
If it feels cloudy or clear.
Just becoming aware of your experience right now in this moment and accepting it all just as it is.
And finally,
Moving on to the last part of the practice,
SP,
For proceed.
As you start to calm down,
You're breaking out of autopilot mode,
Starting to feel a sense of being grounded in the present moment.
Try to be open about the choices you have in front of you right now.
Consider what's the best way to move forward from here?
How do you want to show up in front of your colleagues in the next moment?
And if you have a set of core values by which you live your life,
Maybe checking in with one or two of those.
What would it look like,
Feel like,
And seem to live your values in the next few moments?
What's most important to you right now?
And when you're ready,
Proceeding now to take the next steps in your day from this place of greater wisdom,
Strength,
And presence.
May you be well.
