This is the stop practice.
So we'll begin by stopping whatever it is you're doing,
Finding a comfortable position,
And taking three comfortable easy breaths.
Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
Inhale through the nose and as you exhale through the mouth allow the shoulders to soften down away from the ears.
One more like this.
Inhale through the nose,
Maybe allowing the belly to soften,
The weight of the body to feel supported by the surface you're resting on.
And then we'll move into observing how the body is doing in this moment.
What physical sensations do you notice?
Scanning from the feet and the toes up through the legs,
The hips,
Any areas of temperature change,
Heaviness,
Tingling,
Tension.
Scanning up through the belly,
The low back,
Up through the ribcage,
Shoulders,
Arms,
Hands.
Checking in with the neck,
Back of the head,
The ears,
And the jaws,
Face,
The eyes,
And checking in with the tongue and the mouth.
Be softening it down away from the roof of the mouth.
So not good or bad,
Not right or wrong,
Just noticing how this human body feels in this moment.
Even making space for areas that you feel nothing at all.
And then shifting your attention into the emotional realm and just checking in with your feelings or mood.
So are you noticing any strong emotions in this moment?
Are they pleasant or unpleasant?
You may even ask yourself,
How am I doing right now?
Is there a mood or attitude?
Calm,
Content,
Concern,
Worry,
Urgency.
So again,
Without trying to fix it or judge it or get out of it,
Just can we make room for noticing what's here with the support of your own kindness,
Your own gentle,
Caring awareness here.
And seeing if the feeling is related to a physical sensation in your body.
So bringing a little curiosity,
Is there tension in my shoulders or heaviness in my chest?
Again,
Without trying to fix this area,
Perhaps offering yourself a gentle hand,
Some supportive touch,
Some care,
Caring words you might offer a good friend or loved one who is feeling the same way.
And if you feel particularly good in this moment,
Just allowing yourself to savor and soak up that experience.
Noticing what it feels like to feel good in your body,
In your heart.
And then finally,
Let's check in with our thoughts.
So what am I aware of in my mind?
What thoughts are coming and going?
Planning,
Remembering,
Concern,
Worry.
So can you observe that that type of thinking or these types of thoughts are here?
Remembering how human it is to have a mind that's working hard for us to survive.
And giving yourself permission for however it is to be with your mind in this moment.
And if it's difficult,
Again offering yourself some comfort and care,
Maybe some kind words.
And if it's relatively peaceful in the mind,
If the thoughts are pleasant and easy,
Again just savoring and soaking up that experience.
Knowing that the mind is always changing.
And then finally returning to your body and just feeling your breath here.
Allowing your awareness to expand to the body sitting here.
Noticing how the breath is moving through your body.
Knowing that you can come back to your thoughts,
Feelings,
And body sensations at any time throughout your day.
And then finally,
The last step of the stop practice is to proceed.
So proceed with what do I need right now?
Based on this check-in with my body,
My emotions,
My mind,
What do I need for myself in the next few moments,
The rest of my day,
The rest of my week?
