Namaste.
Just take a moment to settle in.
Allow yourself to arrive here.
Gently soften your jaw,
Relax your shoulders.
Let your breath happen naturally.
There is something deeply healing about awe.
Awe has the ability to calm and ground us while also gently awakening us.
It softens the stress response and invites us back into curiosity,
Wonder,
And presence.
When we experience all?
Even briefly?
The body often shifts.
Breathing slows.
Perspective widens.
The mind becomes quieter.
Researchers have found that awe can support the parasympathetic nervous system.
Helping us move out of fight or flight.
And into a more settled state.
It can reduce stress,
Ease anxiety,
Support connection.
And even help us feel as though we have a little more space and time in our day.
And the beautiful thing is,
Awe does not require a trip to the Grand Canyon or some extraordinary life event.
All can live in very small moments.
The way sunlight moves through leaves.
The sound of music that touches something deep inside you.
Hearing a child laugh.
A quiet act of kindness.
A sky full of stars.
A deep conversation.
The feeling of realizing you love someone.
Even a single conscious breath.
Awe reconnects us to the mystery and beauty of being alive.
So today we're going to practice a very simple mindfulness exercise called the awe method.
A is for attention.
W is for wheat.
And E is for exhale and expand.
This is something you can practice throughout your day in just 15 seconds.
So let's try it together now.
First,
Bring your attention to something around you.
That naturally draws you in.
Maybe it's the light in the room.
Or the leaves of a plant nearby or a beautiful seashell.
Maybe it's a sound,
A memory.
A feeling in your heart.
Maybe it's simply the miracle of your breath.
Moving in and out.
Just notice something worthy of your attention.
Pause here.
And now,
Wait.
Take a slow inhale.
Allow yourself to really take it in.
Not rushing past it.
Not analyzing it.
Just marveling for a moment.
And then gently exhale.
As you exhale,
Allow your awareness to expand.
Expand beyond your thoughts.
Beyond your to-do list.
Beyond the small pressures of the day.
Feel yourself becoming part of something larger.
Breathing in wonder.
Breathing out.
Tension.
Again.
Attention.
Pause.
Inhale.
Exhale and expand.
One more time.
Attention.
Wheat?
Inhale deeply.
And exhale slowly.
Notice what shifts,
Even slightly.
A little more openness,
A little more softness.
A little more perspective.
All creates a childlike sense of wonder within us.
It reminds us that life is not only something to manage or get through,
It's something to notice.
To feel,
To marvel at.
As you move through the rest of your day,
See if you can begin collecting small moments of awe.
A beautiful song.
A kind gesture.
The smell of rain.
The sound of laughter.
The vastness of the sky.
The feel of sunshine on your skin.
Tiny moments that quietly remind you.
There is still beauty here.
Take one final slow breath in.
And a long,
Easy breath out.
And when you're ready.
.
.
Gently return.
Carrying a little more wonder with you.
