Comply with alongside as Rhonda Magee guides us by way of a S.T.O.P. observe for targeted consciousness. The invitation is to be type to your self, take a aware breath, and gently relate to ideas, feelings, and sensations that come up.
If we’ve been practising mindfulness and different consciousness practices, we all know that even on difficult days like election day we’re only a second of consciousness away from a way of higher ease and higher capability to be with what’s.
The acronym S.T.O.P. encapsulates how mindfulness observe can assist us in benefiting from alternatives for engagement on the planet most particularly throughout election day. Like all mindfulness practices, it has many alternative functions. For one, it’s a easy device that may assist us in being right here in a way more energetic manner with ourselves, opening up to what’s developing for us, proper right here, proper now.
Cease and Take a Aware Breath
S stands for Cease
Cease what you might be doing and if doable, maybe sit. If standing, simply pause the place you might be standing. It’s actually about standing in your dignity or sitting in your dignity, to assist bringing mindfulness to this second. As you compromise in, breathe out and in, permitting consideration to relaxation on the sensation of the breath because it flows into the physique, and out. Really feel the nourishment of taking a second to pause. This primary step could be as brief as simply an prompt, or so long as you want.
T stands for Take a aware breath
Now, taking one, very gradual and aware breath in, and a full full breath out, actually discover what it’s like to permit your attention to relaxation on these sensations of respiration. Persevering with to take a number of very aware, very intentional breaths. Merely permit your self to characteristic the respiration side of the expertise of this second, one breath at a time.
O stands for Observe
What’s developing for you on this second? The shorthand T.E.S.—ideas, feelings, sensations—can remind you of what you may gently scan for as you observe your expertise.
What kind of thoughts might be arising? Think about ideas as being like clouds, shifting by way of the sky of your consciousness, and simply word the ideas as they arrive up for you.
Then, what feelings or emotions are current? Is there some discomfort? Some feeling of opening to joy? No matter is arising is completely OK. There is no such thing as a proper or improper method to really feel. Mindfulness is about rolling out this welcome mat, permitting your self to really feel what’s right here proper now.
Then, discover sensations: You may really feel a tightness across the shoulders, or a sinking feeling within the stomach. No matter is outstanding, invite a mirrored image on the sensations which might be developing for you. The intention is simply to create a spacious manner of holding the sensations. Sure, these sensations are right here proper now.
P stands for Proceed
Lastly, once you’re prepared, discover the chance introduced on this second to proceed, to decide on how you can transfer from this place of reflective awareness into engagement. Proceed with presence, all of the whereas holding your expertise with kindness, friendliness, and self-compassionate to your expertise on this second.
Discover the chance introduced on this second to proceed, to decide on how you can transfer from this place of reflective consciousness into engagement.
When you’re prepared, transition out of this observe. Really feel what it was like, and any manner during which that second of observe could have shifted your expertise. Convey consciousness to that shift, that will help you see simply how mindfulness observe is for you. Many lecturers use the time period “YOU-ru” versus “guru,” which suggests you possibly can take full possession of the good alternative that being alive presents: to deepen your capacity to satisfy no matter is developing, with extra steadfastness, extra stamina, extra resilience, and extra intentionality about the way you need to be throughout election day.
