Practice: Calm the mind

- This practice is to calm the mind and relax the body whenever you need to let go of overwhelm. Find a quiet space and shut off any distractions. Sit comfortably, relaxing your shoulders, your feet on the floor. Close your eyes or soften your gaze. Put your hand on your belly below the naval. Breathe in through your nose. Feel the belly rise as you breathe in. Breathe out fully through your mouth, feeling the belly fall. Now start to deepen your breath with a long exhale. Breathe in, two, three. Out, two, three, four, five, six. In, two, three. Out, two, three, four, five, six. In, two, three. Out, two, three, four, five, six. Long exhales activate our parasympathetic nervous system to help us feel calm and relaxed. In this practice, we will continue to breathe deeply and release stress from each part of the body. If your mind wanders during this body scan, that's normal. Mindfulness practice is about bringing the mind gently back to the breath and to what's happening now. Taking a deep breath in, feel the soles of your feet being supported by the ground. Notice if there's any tension in the feet. As you breathe out, imagine the tension falling from your feet into the ground. Silently thank your feet for the hard work they do to support you. Now move your focus to your lower leg below your knees. As you breathe in through your belly, imagine that breath going to open up any tension in your lower leg and your knees. Breathe out. Move your attention to your upper leg. Deep breath in. Notice if there's any tension in the muscles. As you breathe out, let the tension go. Feel gratitude for how your legs help you move toward what matters to you. Now let's move to your glutes. When we sit a lot for our jobs, our glutes can carry a lot of tension. Deep belly breath in. And as you breathe out, slowly let that tension go. If your mind has wandered, gently bring your attention back. Now become aware of your torso, your chest, your shoulders, your back, your neck. Take a deep belly breath in. Many of us carry the weight of our responsibilities in our torso. Look to see where there's tension. Breathing slowly, let that tension go. Thank your torso and spine for helping you stand up for what's important to you. Now let's move to your hands, your arms, your fingers, and even your fingertips. As you put your awareness in the palms of your hands, notice if they wake up with any subtle energy. Our hands give us the ability to create, to write, to shape, to feed, to nurture. Breathing in, give thanks for all they do for you. Breathe out fully and let the tension go. Now move to your head, your jaw, your eyes, your ears. As you take a deep breath in, notice any tension. Relax your jaw. With a long breath out, feel gratitude for your sight, your ability to speak, to listen, and to experience the world with all of your senses. You can pause the video here if you want to lengthen your practice. (bell resonates) When you're ready, slowly open your eyes. Savor the experience of offering yourself calm. Your body thanks you for it, and so will the important people in your life. Until the next time, my friends