9 Deep Breaths

Over the past 20 months or so that I’ve been working for myself, things have been pretty hectic. A good hectic (newsletter readers might remember my recent “Mindset Insight” on busy-ness), but hectic all the same. And a couple of months ago, I looked up and noticed that I’d lost touch with some of my own grounding and centering time, connecting with Spirit time (Lady Universe, as I call her).

Like most of us, I’d like to slow down and reconnect, but what’s more, I’d like to use my brain better - specifically, to not be such a slave to the “monkey mind.” (Did you know that on average, we deliver over 50,000 messages to ourselves daily? Most of that self-talk isn’t good… but that’s another story.)

So a couple of months ago, I started a simple morning meditation practice. After taking a few minutes to slow down and get centered, take 9 deep breaths while keeping my mind clear.

That’s it, just 9 deep breaths.

Simple, perhaps, but not easy. In fact, it’s downright hard!

9 deep breaths of calm, 9 deep breaths of NOT thinking about, well, everything. (Including all the good stuff - and I am very thankful for my life these days. 9 deep breaths without gratitude, even.) Hard, but no matter what, I feel so much better afterward.

The 9 deep breaths has turned into something of a focus point for me. When I’m going about my day and things are getting to be a little bit too much, I stop everything and take those 9 deep breaths. They help.

Why am I passing this on? Because I know many of you struggle with the monkey mind, too. I invite you to give 9 deep breaths a try.

In BYMB news, I’ve made a few changes to the blog, including adding an audio message! If you’re reading this in your blog reader and haven’t been by in a little while, come on over and check out the mini face-lift. More changes to come soon.