5 minutes to clear your mind - set your timer & greet the moment
Do you sometimes have so much to do you don't know where to start? You get easily distracted, disorientated, or forget the important thing - everything seems urgent and it messes with your head? Finding your way to this page could be random or there could be a very good reason.
Set your timer to 4 minutes and find a comfortable place and way to sit that you can maintain without distraction…repeat this twice every day and start to change your brain...
- Take a few long breaths in and sigh out to settle in your seat, feel the connection between the body and seat or ground
- Close your eyes & bring your awareness to your own unique inner landscape. What’s the first thing you notice? Open your eyes to look at the next prompt…
- Bring your full attention to your breath - what do you notice about your breathing right now? give this at least 10 breaths to let your attention settle, you can read on...and then let your eyes close...
- Move your attention to your body and do a quick scan through – what do you notice about this body in this moment. If your body wants to move – go ahead and follow its lead for a minute at most.
- Anywhere in your body calling for attention? Focus on that part of your body and breathe into it, what are you becoming aware of? Ask your body why its calling for your attention – what does it want you to know? Name what you find whether its physical sensation, a thought or an emotion.
- Repeat any names that come up for your experience and do not push it away! Notice how your experience changes from moment to moment
- Welcome whatever comes up, stay with what you notice for a little while – there’s no right or wrong, just be with what’s happening
- Stay tuned in – no need to use your mind to find any answers - simply notice and settle your attention there until...
- The timer goes off. Take a few long breaths, take your mind back over the last 4 minutes and use the last minute to reflect on:
- How are you feeling now?
- What choices will you make until your next 4 minute check in
- Thank your body for sharing this information with you
If you have some more time, be creative - write, draw, share it in some way - I’d love to hear how it goes! Or sign up for a workshop!
With joy and love, Judy Hirsh Sampath, yoga teacher, yoga therapist, course director of Yoga United Education