Checking in with yourself.
It's important to pause regularly and check in with yourself to see how you're doing in the present moment.
This exercise can help you reflect on the different aspects of yourself.
Begin by sitting or lying comfortably with a straight back and a relaxed posture.
Close your eyes and place your right hand on your belly.
Take a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Then let your breath return to its natural rhythm,
Feeling how your belly rises and falls with each breath.
If you get distracted,
Gently bring your focus back to your breathing,
Allowing yourself to simply be here in this moment exactly as you are.
Notice how your breath serves as an anchor for the here and now.
Each time you breathe in and out consciously,
You bring yourself back to this moment.
Your breath is always there as a constant reminder to be present right here where you are.
Now shift your attention to your body.
Gently scan through your body,
Noticing if there are any areas of tension or discomfort.
Start at your head and move slowly down through your neck,
Shoulders,
Back,
Arms,
Belly,
Legs and feet.
Notice if there are areas where you feel tension or discomfort and simply acknowledge these sensations without needing to change anything.
Allow yourself to simply observe what is present with a sense of kindness and acceptance for your body as it is in this moment.
Now tune into your energy level.
Take a moment to notice if your energy feels high or low.
Do you feel perhaps energized and uplifted or calm and relaxed?
Or do you notice your energy feels low,
Perhaps with a sense of tiredness or rest?
Also check in with your mood.
Do you feel positive and light or maybe a bit heavier or more negative?
You might feel happy,
Content or perhaps tense or worried.
Simply let these feelings be without judgment or the need to change them.
Just being aware of how you feel right now is enough.
Next,
Bring your attention to your thoughts.
What's coming up in your mind?
Are there many or few thoughts?
Do they have a particular theme?
Are your thoughts calm or busy?
Simply observe what arises without getting caught up in the stream of thoughts.
Imagine you are watching your thoughts from a distance,
Like clouds drifting across the sky above you.
There is nothing you need to change or solve.
Let your thoughts simply pass by with an attitude of kindness and acceptance for what is.
Now that you've checked in with your breath,
Body,
Energy,
Emotions and thoughts,
Take a moment to set an intention for the rest of your day.
Your intention doesn't have to be complex.
Maybe you want to bring a sense of calm or kindness or carry a quality like patience or clarity.
Allow yourself to gently hold this intention in your mind as a reminder you can return to throughout the day.
As you slowly open your eyes or return to the space around you,
Carry this intention with you into the rest of your day.
Remember that at any moment you can pause,
Reconnect with your breath and check in with yourself again,
Just as you have done here.
