When the world is moving quickly around you,
Take time to breathe,
For the breath is your anchor,
Rooting you,
Grounding you,
Keeping you in this present moment.
So consider this a gentle reminder,
Don't forget to breathe.
Close your eyes for a moment,
Take a deep breath,
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Moving up from the depths of your belly to the top of your lungs,
Feel the expansion and when you're ready let it go,
Release and notice.
That observation is mindfulness,
That softness in your body is ease.
Soften into the moment like falling into a bed of pillows and allowing them to nestle around you and support your body gently,
Safe,
Secure,
At ease.
Ease because nothing good comes from running yourself into the ground because life shouldn't be forced.
Because when things align and you realize that God's hand is on your life,
You are able to exhale and find ease in even the tough places.
How often do you pause,
Pause to notice,
Pause to examine the space in between what's next and what's right now?
Can you give yourself permission to not rush to the subsequent task or event?
Can you give yourself permission to slow down?
Take a deep breath,
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
That is mindfulness.
That's the beauty of the pause.
Nature often teaches us this beautiful lesson.
It provides the space for observation.
As we sit in a park surrounded by God's beautiful creations,
Notice how they don't rush.
There is no urgency in reaching the next phase of growth or expansion.
There is a trusting of the process,
Trusting of the natural progression ahead in the cyclic form of life.
As we rush from task to task,
We can lose sight of the bigger picture.
If you're constantly working towards the next goal,
You're unable to enjoy the beauty of right now.
Yes,
There will always be goals and levels that we hope to achieve for that is how we grow.
But there is so much more to achieve in noticing the right now.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Notice the softness in your body.
Notice the calm hum beneath the layers.
This is mindfulness.
This is the beauty of the pause.
Perhaps the reason we avoid slowing down is what begins to bubble to the surface.
That can no longer be suppressed by distractions of busyness and sometimes vices.
We are forced to deal with all aspects and layers of our true self.
And though the pausing and slowing down can be difficult at times,
Be gentle with yourself in the moments you get distracted.
The fact that you are noticing reveals the growth that has already transpired.
It's in that place of noticing that you are mindful.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Just feel.
Surrender to the stillness.
Observe the emotions that may surface.
Push them away.
Don't fight it.
Notice what truly shows up when you allow yourself to get still.
Maybe you will find that becoming aware of the right now actually allows for illumination of the pockets of small joys in a place you never would have imagined.
Like noticing the cooler,
Crisp air mixed with the warm sunshine as fall begins to emerge.
Like taking the first bite of your favorite meal and welcoming the burst of flavor in your mouth.
Like stepping into the ocean on a hot summer day.
Like seeing your loved one smile from ear to ear the moment they open a thoughtful gift.
Like the moment you look around your life and realize you're in the place you prayed for.
Friend,
Maybe this is the place you've been waiting for all along.
Maybe this is the place of true joy and contentment.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
You're now in this simple place of stillness.
Enveloped in God's love.
Enveloped in his beauty.
Enveloped in his grace.
Each day work towards learning how to move with life.
An endless journey of reminders that everything is temporary so be fluid and go with the flow.
Give yourself permission to trust each passing moment and find the abundance of joy in the right now.
Shift your mindset from achieving some set goal or milestone to be fulfilled to instead finding absolute fulfillment in your current location.
So breathe deep.
Create the space you need for you to truly transform and grow in the right now,
In the slowing down.
Unearth peace.
And mindful ease.
We close this practice with one last cleansing breath so breathing in deeply and release out of your mouth.
And when you're ready,
Opening your eyes and continuing on with your day.
