Take This Moment - Gain Clarity on Your Top Priority for Today

Photo by Caleb George

Among the dozens of thoughts racing through your mind, and the many more emails, let's not just get swept along by the most pressing things that arise. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, within the next ten minutes you can gain clarity on the most important thing you can do today.
Work with me here. Take a deep breath, let your thoughts subside. Perhaps take another deep breath and as another thought comes into your head, let it loose to the wind, like a balloon you’ve just let go of. Ask “What’s the most important think I can do today?” then let it go.
Start to notice the sounds around you, to the north (or what you imagine to be the north), what do you hear? To the south, the east and the west? Seriously, stay still, stop reading and softly close your eyes if you can (or gently gaze just in front of you) – listen - letting go of any thoughts that come in. Listen, and when you are finished just softly open your eyes and gaze at the next paragraph.
Now start to notice what you are feeling, not the emotions and the stories, let those float away with your thoughts. Just notice the sensations in your body, areas of tightness, letting go of any thoughts that come up. Just notice and move on.
Focus now on your breathing, counting with each in and out breath, letting go of any thoughts that come in, keep coming back to your breath. If your body wants to move, gently let it move, just keep focusing on your breath in and out; letting go of any thoughts that arise.
Keep breathing, in and out twenty times, and just keep letting go of any thoughts. If you have an extra ten minutes up your sleeve, imagine breathing in and out of each pore in each part of your body. If not, skip the next two paragraphs.
Start with your right foot, breathe in and out, through every pore of that right foot, letting go of any thoughts that come up. Then your right shin and calf, breathing in and out through every pore on that lower part of your right leg. Then your knee and thigh, letting go of your thoughts as they come in.
Switch over to your left leg, then the pelvic area, then the torso, breathing in and out of every pore of every organ in each part of the body. Then your left upper arm, left lower arm and hand, breathing in and out, letting go of any thoughts, before moving to your neck and head, breathing in and out.
Imagine tree roots growing from your feet down into the centre of the earth, wrapping around its warm core, the energy flowing back and forth pulsating as it flows around your body, grounding you here. Imagine as every pore in your body breathes in and out that your face is tilted to the warm rays and light of the sun and all that light and energy is pouring in with each breath that you take.
Letting go of any thoughts, keeping a hold of that smile as you feel the warmth and light of the sun on your face. You are connected to everything around you, welcome home. Just breathe it in.
Now start to notice your heart beating, wiggle your fingers, wiggle your toes. Return to the sounds around you, open your eyes. Enjoy the stillness, drink it in, capture the feeling of this moment and carry it with you into your day.
Now, what is the most important thing you can do today?
Namaste
With thanks to Kim Eng and Tami Simon among many others for their teaching and a tribute to all those who are contributing to the online Mindfulness Summit throughout the month of October. The summit has some amazing and highly acclaimed speakers (from thought leaders such as Arianna Huffington to authors such as Daniel Goleman (Emotional Intelligence), celebrities like Ruby Wax and a number of renound professors and psychologists. It is free to access all month and it's a not-for-profit project with a mission to make mindfulness mainstream.

​Big ups to Melli OBrien and Matt Dickenson for pulling it together and who believe the peace, balance and compassion found through mindfulness has the capacity to change the whole world from within. Here Here!

​This article was originally published on LinkedIn.