A Soft Landing
Finding time for mindfulness throughout the day
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Perceptions of Meditation
When you think of meditation what images come to mind?
Someone sitting crosslegged on a beach with the sun shining on their face?
People laying down on mats in a yoga studio?
A monk or nun in a temple in the middle of nowhere?
Meditation can be, and often is, like this but chances are you probably don’t think of someone sitting in a car or bus, standing in an elevator, or trying to find a quiet spot in an office when you think of meditation.
In most mindfulness training we will generally encourage people to begin practicing meditation in class together, wherever that might be, and then at home or somewhere peaceful, a place they might generally find quiet and comfortable and where they are not likely to be disturbed.
However, before long people are encouraged to bring their practice with them wherever they go - to find small moments in the day where they can pause wherever they are and do even a very brief version of a meditation they have already practiced in class and at home.
We ask people to think of different times and places where they could fit in these short moments of mindfulness and often people say they’ve practiced while waiting in a queue, at their desk in work, or in the kitchen while waiting for the kettle to boil. It is often in the most mundane of places that people take that chance to practice mindfulness.
A Soft Landing
One use for these short meditations or pauses is to give ourselves a “soft landing” when arriving somewhere - for example when arriving at work or school in the morning, coming home in the evening, or before a meeting or class begins.
This is especially helpful if we are stressed or we know that whatever we have in front of us will be difficult or anxiety provoking - meeting with a difficult work colleague, before giving a presentation etc.
What this does is allows us to not get caught up in thinking about what is to come (when beginning the work day) or what has happened during the day (when arriving home from work or school). The soft landing is really a gentle arrival into the present moment - allowing us to ground ourselves and connect with what is happening right now.
I’ll do this myself before teaching any class or giving a talk - I’m by no means a natural public speaker and still get anxious before speaking in front of a group.
Any time I meet with other mindfulness teachers at least the first five minutes (and sometimes more) of the meeting is set aside just to take this pause together, to allow us to settle. It might sound counterproductive to use our time this way but it usually leads to meetings moving along more smoothly.
When to allow yourself this soft landing
When arriving home after work - helps to separate work and home
Before a presentation - stops anxious thoughts from snowballing into anxiety or panic
Before a meeting or difficult conversation - to allow us to settle and be a little less reactive to other people
Breathing Space Meditation
Below is a short guided meditation you can use to give yourself that soft landing whenever you need. It only takes a few minutes and can de done anywhere.
The structure is simple
Check in with what’s going on in your mind and body in a general way
Focus on the physical sensation of your breath (or another anchor) without trying to change it
Expand your awareness to take in your whole body again.
To finish ask yourself a question such as “What do I need right now?” or “What would be most helpful for me to do now?”
Try practicing this a few times a day with the recording then doing it on your own, making it a little longer or shorter as you see fit. Try and think of a few times during the day when you might fit this practice in.
N.B. If the breath is uncomfortable to focus on then choose something like the sensation of your feet on the floor, the weight of the body pressing down on your chair or even the sounds around you - somewhere to anchor your attention for a few moments.
PS
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