Stop - Breathe - Be
A basic and powerful 10 second tool to reconnect the body and mind with the present.
We can get stuck in cycles where we fail to connect ourselves to the present, which manifests itself in spending time feeling anxiety, stressing over a reflection that we replay over and over versus accepting, or spending incessant time worrying about a future that is impossible to predict.
Does this anxiety sometimes make you feel like you’re chasing your tail [if you had one, of course]?
There is a simple, yet powerful, meditation practice that takes as little as 10 seconds of effort once you’ve learned it. You’ll use it to bring yourself back to the present with both mind and body, and it’s represented with the three words - Stop - Breathe - Be - and this is how to bring it to life in your day.
Stop - Put whatever it is you are doing on pause (if safe to do so) and put the brakes on any thoughts that might be fleeting. Choose to keep your eyes open or close them if that helps you further complete the stop action.
Breathe - Take a deep breath for 4-5 seconds, feeling the way the air enters your lungs. Hold for a brief moment and exhale naturally with a relaxed mindset.
Be- [If you closed your eyes, open them.] Be where you are. Feel the ground beneath your feet (or the pressure on whatever part of your body is carrying the majority of your weight). Think about your authentic self and how that self can be present in this moment. Think about who else is present in this moment with you. If the moment is one of significance to you leaving your trace in the world, be sure to honor the opportunity. Feel the surroundings (like the temperature of the air), check in with your body (are you carrying tension anywhere?), observe what is going on in the room around you.
This simple activity grounds your mind in the present and your body in the present. Finding ways to weave this activity into transitions in your life can significantly help you show up the way that you like to show up.
This is an elemental component of being mindful.