You know how it feels to begin a meeting when all the attendees are wildly distracted. Most leaders are in back-to-back meetings, with barely enough time to go to the bathroom let alone collect themselves and their thoughts to be fully available.
At some point you’ve also probably experienced a guided grounding exercise that helped you and others let go of the stressors and unprocessed emotions of the day. Maybe it was led by a meditation teacher, a yoga instructor or some other wellness guru. Whenever possible, it’s powerful to have this kind of guidance. But you could also lead a centering exercise on your own. You don’t have to be an expert, just bring your intent for clarity and calm and let this 3 minute script below do the rest. Suggestion: read it slowly.
You may have heard the phrase go slow to go fast. Before we get in to the content of today’s meeting, let’s deliberately slow down for a few minutes. For this you can have your eyes open or closed.
Start to notice your breathing. As you breathe, where does it go, where does it flow?
[pause]
Notice the speed. Notice the depth of each breath.
[pause]
Next I invite you to feel your seat on the seat…
Feel your feet on the floor.
Observe all other points of contact – perhaps your arm resting on the chair.
[pause]
Now if your body was divided front and back, how much of your energy and awareness is in front of you? How much energy and awareness do you have behind you?
[pause]
If your body was divided left and right, how evenly distributed are you between the two sides?
[pause]
Now I invite you to scan your entire body, as if you were looking at it on a radar screen. What parts of your body blip on that screen and get your attention? Notice any areas of tension or tightness.
[pause]
Now once again, observe the breath. Noticing its speed, its rhythm.
Notice the depth of each breath.
[pause]
And now we’ll slowly return to the room, no need to hurry.
Note: You might debrief immediately afterwards to help participants digest and internalize this self-awareness process. Just ask for a volunteer or two to share:
• How was that for you?
• What shifted in you as you slowed down to observe your body?