Meditate (gently) to interrupt habitual reactions

If you find that you often react without thinking, explore this practice of responding more mindfully.

Everyday life is full of inconveniences: inconvenient moments, situations where we don’t get what we hoped for, delays, disappointments, and prickly interactions that can leave us confused and angry.

If we’re honest, maybe we can admit that sometimes our reactions in those moments tend to be reflexive rather than intentional. We feel our anger or irritation increasing, and we act as if we are reading a text.

Can we explore these habitual reactions in a way that gives us enough space to respond differently? In today’s practice, teacher Patricia Rockman guides us through meditation to help us confront whatever arises, so that we have more strength when the next moment arises.

This meditation is about working with Habits. In particular, our habit Feedback For difficult situations that usually arise. These could be anger at being stuck in traffic, sadness at not getting what you want, or frustration when dealing with companies that keep you waiting for what seems like an eternity. Whatever it is, whether it’s something important or something that may seem mundane, Mindfulness Practices can help us handle our habitual interactions in more skillful ways.

Meditate (gently) to interrupt habitual reactions

Read and practice the guided meditation text below, pausing after each paragraph. Or listen to audio exercises.

1. Take a comfortable positionsomething familiar to you that you use when engaging in a practice, that draws attention to your body. If you’re sitting, pay attention to your focal points; Where your bones sit on your chair or pillow, or where your feet or legs are in contact with the surface.
2. Draw attention to where your hands are in relation to your bodyWhether it’s lying on your thighs or folded in your lap. Draw attention to the height of your chest, your chin in line with your navel, and your tongue behind your teeth. If you choose to lie down for this practice, it is best to lie on your back.
3. Draw attention to your body while it is in contact with the rug, floor, or bed. Notice your points of contact, and also notice the places where your body is not in contact. Whatever your position, allow the surface you’re lying on or sitting on to lift you up. Draw attention to the front body, back body, and everything in between.
4. Now turn your attention to the sensations of breathing Where it is more easily available, whether in the nostril, chest, or abdomen. Really focus on the sensations of the breath as they make themselves known to you, and pick one place and rest your attention there.
5. Pay attention to inhalation and exhalation. Pay attention to the movement of the body as the air moves in and out. Presence of gills. You may notice that the air is cold as it enters and warm as it exits. Pay attention to the breathing or chest, focusing on expanding the body with inhalation, and contracting the body with exhalation.
6. Allow the body to stabilize. Allow breathing to stabilize. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Every breath is a new breath. Every breath is a reception and release.
7. You will notice from time to time that your attention will shift to thinkingOr in the future, past, planning, worrying, or daydreaming. Your task is simply to notice this habitual tendency of the mind, and gently return to your breath over and over again, without judgment or story. There is no right or wrong here, there is simply paying attention to your breath, noticing when your attention moves, and bringing it back.
8. Notice when breathing is low, and when breathing is short. Notice when it is shallow and when it is deep. Mindfulness is about recognizing our experience in its entirety, whether desirable or undesirable, in this case it is recognizing the experience of breathing.
9. Exhale and release this primary focus on the breath, Allow it to be present but in the background. As you inhale, focus attention throughout your entire body. Bring an open receptivity to the experience and sensations in the body as they come and go. Notice their arrival, stability or passage and explore this. Add interest and friendly curiosity to this investigation into the sensory nature of experience, whatever it may be.
10. Notice how your body feels. There may be ease, tension, relaxation, discomfort, or pain in a part of your body. Whatever the case may be, when a sensation calls for attention, investigate it and explore its depth and various characteristics. Whether you lean towards it or move away from it, whether it is pleasant, unpleasant or even neutral, without changing anything in the moment, simply pay attention to what is arising in your body as it appears.
11. Pay attention to what arises as best you can and without judgmentBut notice the judgment or aversion if this happens. As best you can, explore the sensation as it is, without judgement.
12. Investigate sensations as they appear. Once you have investigated one sensation, wait for another sensation to appear and investigate it. Remember that sensation may be internal or external. Perhaps the sounds are known as they come and go. Get to know your physical sensations, in your body, in this moment.
13. Notice when your attention shifts to thinkingOr you feel an urge to act or change your situation. We acknowledge that this is what is here now. Bring your attention back to your body over and over again. Explore one sensation, let it go, and then direct your attention to another sensation as it enters your awareness.
14. Now, if you want to, remember a stressful situation that is manageablen. This may have been the last time you felt angry, sad, confused, or anxious. Perhaps this was a situation in a relationship or at work. When recalling this situation, remember that if what is happening is at all confusing to you, do not hesitate to shift your attention at any time to your body’s breathing.
15. If your eyes are closed, open them. Think about the stressor and notice what immediately arises. It can be a physical sensation, a thought, or an emotion. Perhaps there is a behavior or motive to act. Start recognizing the signatures of your stress reaction.
16. If there are thoughts, monitor them as best you can. If there are feelings, try naming them, such as “sadness” or “anxiety.” Remember that labeling feelings helps smooth them out and make them more manageable. Labeling emotions creates an opportunity to give you a choice about what happens next.
17. If there are body sensations, write them downand actually direct your attention to them. Explore them even if they are unwanted. Get to know them. Stay with them as long as they hold your attention. Note whether they increase, persist, or fade away. We realize that this is a moment of stress, and that it is okay; He’s already here. Bring empathy and kindness to the experience. Be with her as she is, even if it’s unwanted. Explore your body and sensations while they are here.
18. Now, turn your attention back to the sensations of breathingMaybe in your stomach. If there are any remaining sensations, maintain attention at the same time. Engage in the choice, if you so choose, to expand on these as you inhale, lighten, expand, exhale, let go, or let go, if possible. If this is not necessary, simply bring attention to the abdomen and the rise and fall of the breath that comes and goes.
19. Expand around the breath to the entire body againto any and all sensations. Be with the body, with your breathing in the background and the sensations in the foreground, from head to toe. Bringing a sense of spaciousness to your experience; Be open and receptive, with an open front and a strong back.
20. When you are ready, abandon this practice; And if possible, bring a broader, more expansive awareness to your coming moments.
21. Now, if you feel inclined, Take a pen and paper and write any word, The thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and motives for action that come to mind. Write down what happened to you in that practice when you introduced the stressor. Name the feelings, and list them. What physical sensations and what, if any, triggers for action or behaviors passed through your mind? The components of the experience may manifest themselves in many ways, from thoughts, to emotions, to physical sensations, to behaviors, and back to emotions and thoughts, and that’s okay. Record these as they appear to you.
22. Once you’re done, take a moment to look at what you’ve written And think about where mindfulness might interfere with your usual reaction. How can you spread awareness of these habitual reactions when they arise, to provide more options if necessary, or offer other options on how to respond? How can you stop yourself so you can take a step back and gain perspective?

Bring conscious attention to habitual reactions

Maybe commit to yourself how to practice this in a simple way when difficulty arises. Maybe once a week or once a day, simply bring conscious attention to an experience, mentally breathe when a difficulty arises, change your attitude, or engage in a different behavior.

Whatever you do, remember that awareness is always a moment away, mindfulness is transferable, and can be with us wherever we are, at any moment, at any time.