Looking For Calm

“Instead of taking on the immense and impossible task of trying to get the world around us to calm down, we can notice and learn to manage the wild chatter in our own minds. Calming the mind,though not an easy job, is far more doable than getting the world around us to stop. Instead of trying to get the kids on the playground to be more peaceful, we can begin by realizing how anxious the chaos makes us. When we learn to experience our anxiety in our bodies, noticing the tightness and quickened breathing pattern; we can also learn to use a mindfulness practice to relax and take care of ourselves. Then even if the playground fights and chaos in the classroom continue (and they will), we can find that still point in the storm.”             -Daniel Rechtschaffen

It seems difficult to imagine that summer has come. We are already being inundated with Halloween candy in stores, costumes to explore, making plans for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. All this while our nation and the world are fixated on the presidential election that is just shy of a month away. There is a great deal to be anxious about and in our increasingly hyped up western world, rarely do we take time to slow down and feel much anything below our head. But we definitely notice the constant chatter in our minds.

Try this exercise for about one minute. Close your eyes and see if you can count ten of your breaths (in and out is 1, in and out is 2 and so on). If your mind drifts off and it most likely will-try and identify what it is you are thinking about and then try to go back to your counting, only this time you have to begin again at 1.

How was this for you?