Stop Overthinking: A Mindfulness Practice To Calm Your Mind

Take a moment to arrive.

Find a position that feels supportive.

You can be seated or lying down,

Whatever helps your body feel at ease,

Or at least not braced.

When you're ready,

Let your eyes close or soften your gaze.

There's no need to block anything out.

Just let yourself arrive into the here and now.

Begin by noticing what's most obvious.

Maybe that's your breath.

Maybe that's a sound in the room.

Maybe it's tension in your jaw or the pull of gravity in your hips.

Let your attention rest there just for a moment.

Now just let your attention move.

There's nothing to fix.

There's no plan.

Just noticing what is here in the present moment as it's happening.

Maybe that's a flicker of restlessness,

A shift in temperature.

Maybe it's the urge to fidget or scratch or move.

See if you can meet those things without needing to change them.

Or if your body wants to adjust,

Let that happen too,

But mindfully.

Let this be a space where there's no right or wrong experience.

If your breath is fast,

That's okay.

If it's slow,

That's okay.

If it's slow,

Great.

And if it's hard to feel,

That's also valid.

You don't need to deepen it or change it.

You're just hanging out with it,

Curious,

Present,

Open.

Notice how your breath meets your body.

Where do you feel it the most?

In your chest,

In your nose,

Your throat,

Your belly.

Wherever it is,

Let that be enough.

And relax.

If your mind starts to plan,

Analyze,

Or drift,

That's not a mistake.

Just notice that it's happened and gently bring your attention back.

Back to this inhale,

This exhale.

This moment.

You don't need to reach any special state.

You don't need to feel calm.

You don't even need to like what you find.

Just being with what's here is the practice.

That's it.

Take another breath.

Let it move through you naturally.

Then start to notice the sounds around you.

The air on your skin.

The support beneath your body.

When you're ready,

Let your eyes gently open.

Or lift your gaze.

And take a moment before moving.

You're here,

You're breathing,

And that's enough.