Find Your Moment Today

Today, Katie at Health for the Whole Self encouraged her readers to Find Your Pause by “just stopping, even for a few seconds, to notice the brief, still pause at the end of each inhale-exhale cycle.”

She wrote in her post: “I got this idea from Thomas Roberts, author of The Mindfulness Workbook. In it he writes a very compelling description of watching his newborn daughter as she slept in her crib. As he observed her breathing, so simply and peacefully, he noticed that after each exhale there was a pause before the next inhale began. And it occurred to him that – through our natural, relaxed breathing – we actually have built-in pauses or rest periods.”

It’s funny that Katie wrote this post today and shared Mr. Roberts story about his child taking breaks. I noticed something similar with my “baby” last night:

Grady was the proud recipient of a new toy yesterday. He happily snagged it and took it straight outside to our fenced in backyard. In usual fuzz fashion, he ran circles around  the yard, just loving on life and his new item of pride and joy.

Once fully tuckered out, he plopped himself down in a shaded area with the toy between his front paws. He wasn’t biting or playing with it – just enjoyed being with it. He looked around the yard. He watch cars and trucks pass by on the main road. He saw a bird on the fence and looked up with big dog ears to better hear its chirps. He sat in the grass, completely content to just be his happy, pup-self for that moment in time.

Watching Grady last night as he romped around the backyard really inspired me. Seeing the smile on my dog’s face told me how purely happy he was in that exact moment while he was doing absolutely nothing. We’re constantly searching for ways to calm down, but my pup showed me there is no need to look any further than your current surroundings.

All we really have to do is just stop for a moment…

…take a deep breathe…

…look around at what’s happening around you…

…let your mind wander for an instant.

…and embrace it for what it is. Nothing more, nothing less.

There’s no need for any fifteen minute mediation program or an hour long hot yoga session.  All you need is your breathe and a moment.

Remember: it’s the little things in life –  those toys, those pups, those moments of calm serenity – that will make the difference and get you through your day.