The STOP Practice

Welcome to this stop meditation practice.

This is one of the pocket practices,

Just something that you can bring into your everyday life whenever you're feeling the need for a little bit of mindfulness.

So when you're familiar with the steps and practicing on your own,

You could stay in each step for a few seconds or longer,

Maybe even a minute or so,

Whatever you need.

In this guided version,

We'll be staying for a little while to help you familiarize with each step.

So just being somewhere where you won't be disturbed for a few minutes.

And then the first step is S for stop.

So just stopping what you're doing,

Resting,

Pausing,

Just connecting with yourself.

Just noticing what it feels like to stop moving,

To stop doing.

And then T for taking a mindful breath.

So just breathing deep into your belly,

Feeling the movement of the breath in your belly.

Just noticing what it feels like to be alive and breathing in this moment.

How does it feel to inhale and exhale?

And then O is for observing what's happening with you.

What's arising in this moment,

Thoughts,

Emotions,

Physical sensations.

Trying to notice these with as much openness and curiosity as possible.

There's no need to try and change or judge or fix what you find in this moment.

If you do find pain,

Tension or tightness,

Not pushing it away,

But you might want to see if you can just soften your reaction to it.

Softening our resistance to any difficulties or tensions.

This is a moment to really see if you can just be present with what's happening for you rather than being ruled or pushed around by thoughts,

Emotions or sensations.

And now the final step,

The P.

This is for proceeding with possibility into the next moment of your life.

So seeing if you can do this with intentionality,

Taking the next step from a place of strength,

Wisdom and presence.