Take a moment and check in with yourself right now. What sensations let you know you're sitting here right now? Can you sense your feet touching the floor, or the softness or hardness of your chair? What about temperature, or sensations of clothing or fabric? Anything you can notice in the body, just see what's here. If it's pleasant or unpleasant, just notice that. No need to fix or change anything right now.
Guess what? You just meditated. Mindfulness meditation is the practice of placing your attention, on purpose, on an experience in the present moment, and just resting with whatever is here. This simple practice can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of our nervous system that helps us to be calm. It can bring us down from that tight, tense alert mode we are all too familiar with. Even if what you're experiencing is unpleasant or stressful, simply paying attention to your experience with kindness and curiosity can actually reduce the amount of stress you experience.
Here's a free, short, guided mindfulness meditation to help you practice.
This guided meditation instruction was originally delivered as an online session for a group of coworkers during the busiest and most stressful time of the year for the company.
Regular mindfulness practice has many physical, emotional, and mental health benefits. This short, guided meditation is well-suited for experienced meditators and beginners alike. Great for a short session in the morning before work, during a lunch break, or at the end of the day.