3 Principles Pause - Finding Calm Amidst Expectation

Hello and welcome,

I invite you to take a moment to pause right where you are.

There's no need to change your posture or do anything special.

This is simply an invitation to bring a gentle awareness to your inner experience.

Take a few deep breaths now,

Feeling the air as it moves in and out of your body.

Just notice the natural rhythm of your breath.

Now gently bring your attention to your body.

Notice any physical sensations you might be feeling.

You might feel a sense of pressure or stress,

Perhaps a tightness in your jaw,

Shoulders or hands.

Whatever sensations are there,

Just allow yourself to feel them.

There's no need to change them,

Fix them or judge them.

Simply notice them with a kind curiosity.

It can feel so real when the weight of expectations takes hold.

We believe that our feelings are coming from the pressure to get something done,

Or from a fear about what might happen.

But what you are feeling is a direct result of thought in this moment.

Expectation pulls us into an imagined future,

Yet there is no future to control.

The only thing that is real is the thought we are having now.

The nervous system doesn't know the difference between imagined pressure and real danger.

But the good news is,

When we see expectation for what it is,

Just thought,

The body softens and settles.

Allow your body to soften and settle now.

This is a gentle reminder that emotions and the thoughts that fuel them are transient.

They have a natural rhythm,

Like waves in the ocean.

They gather energy,

They peak and then they naturally subside.

If we allow them to move without resistance,

Beneath the layers of should,

Must and why not yet,

Is unwavering stillness.

This calm is not something you have to create or achieve,

It is who you are.

It is always there,

Beneath the ever-changing weather of your thoughts and emotions.

Rest in this knowing now,

Even for a brief moment.

You can pause like this any time expectations feel heavy,

Remembering the peace that is always available within.

Just allow yourself to breathe now,

As the music fades out.