Breathe
No really, that’s it.
I don’t know about you, but my dominant state of late has been: breathless.
Like many of the leaders I work with, I am crawling across the metaphorical finish line of 2021 (it’s not a race! I know it’s not a race! but also it feels like a race???). I’ve been getting sh*t done but it’s increasingly clear I’m running on empty. There’s nothing left in the tank: no focus, no energy, no ideas, no perspective. No space to breathe.
So I clocked out early. Right now, as you’re reading this pre-scheduled note, I’m on my annual—and this year, virtual—silent meditation retreat. I’m sitting in a quiet room in my home, breathing. And doing not much else for five days.
Whereas my daily mindfulness practice and weekly therapy sessions offer ongoing opportunities to refresh, this time of intensive practice is like a hard reboot on my system. Going on retreat (even if I don’t go anywhere) brings my feet back to the ground, my mind back to reality, my breath back into my body.
Care to join me?
Listen to a recorded breath meditation (5 minutes)
This week
Breathe.
You can start right now. Your body is always breathing, so your breath is always there for you to connect to.
Take a deep breath in, as deep as feels comfortable and available to you right now. Feel the expansion in your belly, the lift in your chest, the coolness in your nostrils.
On your exhale, slow down. Release the full breath in a long, slow, steady flow. Follow it all the way down, letting it all go. (Pro tip: Making your exhale slower than your inhale sends a signal to your nervous system that you are safe and it can relax.)
Repeat, letting your breath return to a natural, relaxed flow.
To the extent possible, focus your attention on these breaths. Notice the physical sensations of in… out… up… down. Notice the space between the inhale and exhale. Explore the moment between breaths.
Rest assured: Your mind will come up with all kinds of better things to do. It will want to get sh*t done. It will revisit the past, it will envision the future, it will get lost in fantasy. No problem. It’s just doing its job. Gently bring your attention back, without judgment or drama, to the sensations of your breath in your body.
Do this for as long or as briefly as you like. For a couple of seconds. For a few minutes. For the rest of your life.
The Lead will be off next week. I’ll be back in your inbox in 2022 with our annual tradition of setting a new year resolution intention. Wanna get yours started early? Click here.