What's good,
Legend?
In a world that glorifies speed,
Fast decision-making,
And instant gratification,
The ability to slow down,
Pause,
And choose how we want to show up is a superpower.
Philosopher and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl says that between stimulus and response,
There is space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
Today's meditation will help you develop awareness around your breath,
Your thoughts and emotions,
And to contemplate on how the power of the pause can have a positive impact on your life.
When we practice and build this skill,
We can begin to get into the driver's seats of our own lives and to guide its creation,
As opposed to being a passive participant,
Or even worse,
Allowing life to dictate how we show up.
Let's start by getting into a comfortable meditation position.
Try to be relaxed,
Yet alert,
And ready to explore your inner world.
If you're comfortable with it,
I invite you to gently close your eyes.
Or if you prefer,
Find a shallow gaze on the floor about six feet in front of you.
Let's create a little separation between what came before and now with a couple deep inhales and exhales to get settled in.
Start with a deep inhale in through the nose.
Fill up.
Open out the mouth.
Exhale.
Fill up.
Empty out.
Last one.
Deep inhale.
Exhale.
Side out.
Now,
Just find the nice and natural cadence of your normal breath.
And I would like to begin with a simple technique to focus on breath awareness.
And it's counting.
So with each inhale and exhale,
You'll count one.
Then the next one,
Two.
You'll continue in this fashion all the way until you get up to 10.
Remember,
This is not a race.
If you mess up,
That's OK.
You can start back and get it one.
What we're trying to do here is just focus and pay attention and give the gift of attention to each and every aspect of each and every individual breath.
And with this increased focus comes increased awareness to the present moment.
If you make a mistake,
You just start again.
Just a couple more moments.
And I want you to release that technique.
And I invite you to bring your attention and focus to what you're currently thinking,
Whatever the first thought was that popped into your head at that moment.
We want to observe this thought without judgment.
We want to acknowledge it like maybe an old friend passing in the subway station.
And we want to simply let it go.
What about the next thought that arises?
I want you to choose to do the same thing,
Acknowledge it,
Accept it,
And let it pass.
We are not our thoughts,
And our thoughts are not us.
We are simply the observers behind these thoughts.
So many times we could get caught up and jump on that train that is our thoughts and ride it down to ground central.
And I'm asking you to take a step back before those train doors close.
I'd like you to take the same focus and attention and just turn it to what are you feeling in this moment?
Maybe you're just starting your day,
So you feel filled with energy and excitement.
Maybe you had a long and stressful day,
And you're at the end here.
And you kind of feel a little bit overwhelmed.
I want you to check in with those emotions,
Acknowledge them,
Embrace them,
And then let them go.
Just like our thoughts,
Our emotions are like passing clouds in the sky.
They are temporary.
They are not us,
And we are not them.
What we struggle with this is when we begin to attach ourselves to an emotion and develop a narrative around it.
Right now,
We're just trying to build the awareness of how we're feeling,
And we're trying to let those feelings move on the way.
You are not your feelings,
And your feelings are not you.
Now,
I'd like to do a little contemplating with a few quick questions to have you think a little bit and let your intuition take over.
The topic of today is the power of the pause.
Can you recall a moment when you reacted out of impulse,
Perhaps out of frustration,
Stress,
Or impatience?
How did that response impact the situation?
If you could go back to that moment and insert a pause,
Just a few seconds to breathe and reset,
How might you have responded differently?
Looking ahead,
How can you remind yourself to pause in moments of tension or challenge?
What would it feel like to create space before you respond?
Let's head back to our breath and close the meditation the same way we started it,
With a couple deep inhales and exhales.
Begin filling up into the nose,
Out through the mouth.
Deep inhale,
Exhale.
Last one,
Deep inhale,
Fill up,
Biggest one yet,
Exhale.
As we close this meditation,
Remember that the gap,
The space between what happens and how you respond,
Is always there.
Your power lies in noticing it,
Stepping into it,
And choosing with intention.
In the moments ahead,
When life feels rushed or emotions rise,
See if you can mind the gap.
Breathe,
Pause,
And then respond.
I invite you to gently bring your awareness back to the present moment.
Maybe wiggle those fingers and toes.
Take another deep breath or two.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes.
I would love for you to carry this practice with you.
And let the power of the pause go and shape your day.
I'll see you tomorrow,
Legend.
