Deep Breath and Looking Ahead

Transcript

It seems like it's been a while since you and I really just sat down and had a breath together, and given how this week has been for me, I know I could use it, and I hope you can too. If you've been going through it, if you've been having a stressful week, if things aren't going quite your way, the emails are piling up, all the nonsense, everybody's got their requests and their demands of your time and your talents and your energy and sometimes… Every time, it's worth it to just take a step back, in… and out. And in… and out.

Very good. A couple more. In… and out.

I want you to feel your shoulders rise and fall as you breathe. In… and then out. The feeling of your lungs filling up with air.

In… and out. The feeling of the air being pulled in through your nose. In… and out.

Now in through your mouth. A different feeling, huh? And out through your nose.

And now one back in through your nose. And out through your mouth. Very good.

I'm feeling better just by doing this. I hope you are too. Should we keep going? A couple more.

In… and out. It's nice to just sit here for a minute with you. Yeah, let me see that smile.

Oh, that makes my day. In… and out. What are you looking forward to? I want you to think about that while you do this next one.

In… and out. Is it seeing somebody? Calling a friend? Going for a walk? Taking a shower? An event that you have coming up? A concert maybe? Dinner with a friend? A date night perhaps? Maybe some time for yourself.

In… and out. You deserve time for yourself. Time to re-energize.

Time to step back and take inventory of the things that are important to you. Are you on top of the things you want to get done? Do you have a plan to get there? Are you taking care of yourself? Is there anything you could be maybe a little bit more mindful in doing? Like taking a minute to breathe every now and then? Taking a break? Going outside? Getting a couple of steps in? Perhaps there is a new restaurant in town you'd like to try? Or a comfort food you're going to make for yourself? Whatever it is that you're looking forward to, I want you to keep that in your mind while you breathe in… and out.

And if you would tell me that there is nothing that you're looking forward to, well then I look forward to this next breath in with you and the feeling that it brings me and the feeling I know it's going to bring you. And now we're both looking forward to it. Breathe in… and out.

And now I am going to look forward to every single one of those until we meet again.