Photo Credit: Gustavo Espíndola
Bring more peace and space into your life by adopting this 5 minute daily practice. Just listen to the recording and follow along each morning. Then take three or more mindful pauses throughout your day, whenever you would like to, to help soothe your mind and body.
Below the recording, you’ll find:
more tips to help you implement this practice
examples of difficult situations you can use during the visualizations
a transcript of the recording for those who are hearing impaired or would like to reference it
Enjoy!
Top Tips for Implementing Mindful Pauses in Daily Life
• Listen to the Breathe Slogan Guide recording every morning. The earlier in your do this practice, the better. It will help you set a strong intention, and prime you, to take three or more mindful pauses throughout your day.
• Do not listen to the Breathe Slogan Guide recording while doing anything else. Give this practice your full attention.
• If able, do this practice in postures that reflect your daily living experience, such as seated in a chair you regularly sit in, or standing.
• Use the slogan “Breathe” to remind you to take mindful pauses throughout your day. Hang the slogan “Breathe” in your bathroom, on the refrigerator, at work, in your car, and in other locations that you visit frequently. When you see them, take a mindful pause.
• Tell those you live with and close friends that you are adopting the practice of taking three or more Mindful Pauses each day. Let them know that you will take a Mindful Pause to help soothe the mind and body when they become disturbed. If you take a Mindful Pause during a conversation with them, it is because you have been triggered and, out of love for them, you want to engage with them from a place of compassion and kindness. Let them know they can support you by taking a Mindful Pause as well.
• Do this practice in conjunction with the Mindfulness Fundamentals class.
Examples of Situations that May Trigger Difficult Emotions
If you are having difficulties generating situations that cause difficult emotions to arise, here are variety of examples to consider. As always, be sure to pick situations that remain within your window of tolerance. The situation should generate a manageable amount of difficult emotion, given the current size of your window of tolerance.
Possible examples are as follows:
• Receiving a disturbing email, text message, or direct message on social media.
• Waiting on the phone, in line at the store, or in traffic when you have a lot to do.
• Experiencing a prejudice-based microagression.
• Experiencing technical difficulties with your computer, smart phone, printer, or other gizmos.
• A family member, friend, or colleague says something that upsets you.
• A politician or celebrity says something upsetting on the news.
• Someone confronts you about a mistake you made or a comment you said that hurt them.
• Something you want to happen, doesn't happen.
• Something you don't want to happen, happens.
• A deadline is approaching and you still have a lot left to do.
• Seeing stacks of paperwork, messes, or other projects that need doing when you don't feel you have the time to do them.
• Having to see someone who has been rude, offensive, or disrespectful towards you in the past.
• Realizing you forgot to do something important.
• Making a mistake.
• Accidentally hurting a person or animal.
• Seeing less qualified people being more successful than you.
• Seeing others who have what you want, but don't have.
Transcript of Slogan Guide Recording
This recording will help prime you to take three or more mindful pauses throughout your day.
Practice Linking "Breathe" to Conscious Breaths
First, we practice linking the slogan "Breathe" to the behavior of taking a mindful pause.
Say "Breathe" out loud.
If able, lovingly place one hand on your heart and one on your belly as you anchor your awareness on the sensations of breath. If able, slowly breathe in through your nose deep into your belly and chest for about five seconds.
Now slowly exhale for about five seconds while keeping awareness on the sensations of breathing.
Continue to mindfully breathe in this way for as long as it takes to soothe the mind and body and create a sense of wellbeing.
You may take a mindful pause with eyes open or closed, depending on what makes sense, given your situation.
Wonderful.
Return to starting position -- hands lowered, eyes open -- and begin again. Say the slogan "Breathe" out loud. Kindly place your hands, peacefully anchor your awareness on the breath, and calmly inhale for one, two, three, four, five.
Now exhale: two, three, four, five.
Feel how mindful pauses soothe the mind and body and create a sense of wellbeing.
During this practice, be sure to place your hands on your heart and belly if able. In daily life, this may not be possible, given your situation, and that's fine.
Beautiful.
Return to starting position -- hands lowered, eyes open.
Repeat the slogan from memory, silently to yourself. Place hands, anchor awareness, and inhale for one, two, three, four, five.
Exhale. Two, three, four, five. Feel the peace, power, and possibility.
Excellent.
Skillful Intention Setting
Next, out of love for yourself and all life, we set some skillful intentions for the day.
Repeat after me, out loud, if able: Whenever I feel a difficult emotion, I will think "Breathe" and take a mindful pause to soothe the mind and body.
Magnificent.
Again, and really mean what you say: Whenever I feel a difficult emotion I will think "Breathe" and take a mindful pause to soothe the mind and body.
Superb.
Visualize Taking Conscious Breaths
Finally, we use visualizations to rehearse taking a mindful pause when a difficult emotion arises.
While staying within your current window of tolerance, imagine a situation that triggers the arising of a manageable amount of stress, embarrassment, or other challenging emotion.
Then gently visualize yourself experiencing the situation and mindfully responding to the situation by thinking "Breathe" and taking a mindful pause. Do this visualization now.
Feel how the mindful pause cultivates calmness, compassion, creativity, and allows you to respond to the situation skillful and kindly.
Marvelous.
Again. Imagine another situation that triggers the arising of a manageable amount of impatience, resentment, or other difficult emotion.
Now compassionately visualize yourself experiencing the situation and mindfully responding by thinking "Breathe" and taking a mindful pause.
Feel how the mindful pause produces peace, power, possibility, and allows you to respond to the situation skillful and compassionately.
Lovely.
Encouragement and Blessings
Set a strong intention to take three or more Mindful Pauses today, whenever you remember to.
Practice makes proficiency. Do your best, and success will follow.
Stay committed to your meditation and slogan practices. You will be rewarded for your efforts.
I love you and Life loves you. May you live your day mindfully in service to truth and love.