How Are You Doing, Really?

Navigating through this time of year can be particularly stressful. And if you're not careful or aware, you can easily find yourself in a space of overwhelm. This can be an excellent time to use the awareness practice of checking in. A few times a day for one to three minutes, just pausing and checking in with your physical, emotional, and mental self. This checking in awareness practice has many benefits, including self-awareness, stress-resiliency, emotional-regulation, and improved decision-making. All of these benefits will help you to navigate through this political year. So let's drop into practice. Adopting a comfortable posture that promotes awareness. And if it's comfortable for you, taking a gentle, deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth. And with that exhalation, allowing your attention to gently drop into this moment. And gently closing your eyes if that's comfortable for you. And just noticing the coming and going of your breath. Not forcing anything, just being with each inhalation and each exhalation. And with your next breath, shifting the attention to your physical self. Just noticing any sensations that are present throughout your body. And noticing without judgment, without a ton of inquiries, like how or why. And also noticing without the need to change or fix anything, noticing with a gentle and kind curiosity. And with your next breath, shifting the attention to your emotions, noticing the predominant emotion that's present for you right now. And again, noticing without judgment, without a ton of inquiries, like how or why, and without the need to change or fix anything. And with your next breath, shifting the attention to your thoughts. Just noticing the thoughts that are flowing through your mind and noticing them without getting attached to any thought in particular. So it's very light, almost as if your thoughts are a gentle river and you're just standing at the edge of it, watching it as it gently flows by. No judgment, no inquiries, and no need to change or fix anything. And in this next moment, gently shifting the attention back to your breath, back to your breathing. Not forcing anything at all, allowing the attention to be with each in breath and each out breath. And once again, if it's comfortable for you, taking a gentle, deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth, allowing the eyes to open if they were closed, and allowing this cultivated present moment awareness to stay with you as you continue along your journeys....