Momentum is a powerful force.
Once you are in motion, the tendency is to keep moving. And your movements, especially when hurrying and worrying, can be in both body and mind. All you need to stop the momentum of mind and body begins with giving yourself permission to stop.
Try this practice and see for yourself.
1. The next time you are feeling rushed, acknowledge that feeling with compassion for yourself.
2. Set your intention. For example, “May I find more self-compassion and ease through this practice.”
3. Physically stop moving.
4. Breathe mindfully for a few breaths.
5. Open your focus and notice any remaining sensations of movement in your body. This is your momentum, still present. Notice too the sensations in the parts of your body that are truly still and not moving.
6. Recognize any worried or hurried thoughts with acceptance. Let them go. Don’t fight or follow them.
7. Ask your body and mind, “Is it okay to stop now?”
8. Listen to your body. How does stopping feel?
Excerpted from FIVE GOOD MINUTES® IN YOUR BODY: 100 Mindful Practices to Help You Accept Yourself & Feel at Home in Your Body
JEFFREY BRANTLEY, MD, is a consulting associate in the Duke Department of Psychiatry and the founder and director of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program at Duke University’s Center for Integrative Medicine. He is author of Calming Your Anxious Mind and coauthor of Five Good Minutes, Five Good Minutes in the Evening, Five Good Minutes at Work, and The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook. Dr. Brantley is founder and director of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program at Duke University’s Center for Integrative Medicine.
WENDY MILLSTINE, NC, is a freelance writer and certified holistic nutrition consultant who specializes in diet and stress reduction. She is coauthor of Five Good Minutes, Five Good Minutes in the Evening, and Five Good Minutes at Work.