{cute gocco print by Argyle Whale}
I suggest we all take a moment on this lovely day to just slow down a bit. Be still. Be mindful. Be present.
I think all too often our minds are consumed with the past (all those things we didn't do, should have done, could've done better) and the future (all the to-dos, plans, schedules, things we still need to get done.) But while our brains are busy being consumed with thoughts, our bodies are here in the present moment, doing all they can do to keep up with the tasks that our over-active minds put upon them.
And yes, goals and lists and plans are good, otherwise it'd be nearly impossible to get anything done. But it's also good to pause and reset every once in awhile.
Think of your brain like a computer: it needs to shutdown sometimes to clear out its RAM (the energy and space it takes to run all the windows that are open, all the applications running, everything going on in the background, etc.) so it can focus better on the task at hand. It can get overwhelmed, overheated by trying to access and organize and process all the data that it's constantly inundated with. And often, all it takes to get your computer running more efficiently, is just to turn it off for a bit. For 5 minutes, 15 minutes...
So I suggest we take a moment to turn our brains "off" too. Shut them down. We need a moment to catch up with ourselves. To stop the in and outflow of data. A moment to just be, here in the present moment.
If you're up for hitting the reset button on your brain, continue on for a super easy guided meditation that you can do sitting right there at your desk.
Seated chair meditation:
Sit up a straight in your chair (if you're like me you probably have a desk hunch going on right now.) Find a comfortable spot, scoot forward a bit so you're not resting against the back of the chair. Sit up, heart lifted, shoulders relaxed. Place your hands on your knees, palms down. Put both feet flat on the ground. Maybe even take off your shoes if you can, so you can feel the floor.
Keep your mouth closed and breathe through your nose. Take a deep breath in.... and exhale as long as you can, empty your lungs. Breathe in again, bigger this time, feeling your lungs fill up with air and your breath go down into your belly..... and exhale, long and slow, through your nose...
Close your eyes and continue breathing through your nose, long and slow. Focus on your breath. Be still. Focus on your breath, in... and out... in... and out....
To help guide your focus, think to yourself the words "in. out. in. out." as you breathe. Or "here. now." or "pres-ent." or "eat cheese" or whatever you want ;) Having some words to focus on can help calm your brain and keep you tuned into the present moment.
When you feel your mind begin to wander (and it will) acknowledge your thought in a way to say "hello, I hear you, but I can't help you right now..." and let it go... it will come back later when you're ready to listen, believe me. When the next thought pops up, acknowledge it, and let it go... watch it float away in your minds eye.... come back to your words, "in. out. in. out." When you start to feel fidgety, become aware of it and be still. Come back to your breath. Long inhale in..... long exhale out....
You are not going to be able to quiet your mind completely, it's impossible. But you can allow yourself not to dwell on any thoughts. Don't become engaged by them. Let them go, and come back to your breath. Always come back to your breath.
At this moment, there is nothing else for you to do. Nowhere else for you to be. You are here, right now, and that is as perfect as it gets. Just breathe. Just be. In... out.... in.... out....
Whether you do this just for a few minutes or 15 minutes or longer, it can be re-invigorating, relaxing and help you get through your day more productively. You can do it periodically when you find yourself getting distracted or overwhelmed. Even just one mindful big breath in, and one long breath out in the midst of everything can help you take pause, reconnect to the present moment and not let yourself get so consumed by your own thoughts.
This is just one way of many ways to do a simple seated meditation. Give it try, let me know if it helps. I'm going to take my own advice now too...
Remember, just breathe.
