“You can not control the waves, but you can learn to surf.”
~Jon Kabat-Zinn
I love this quote by Jon Kabat-Zinn! It is a beautiful reminder that we can not control the many stressors in our lives, but we can cultivate skills to navigate through the choppy waters.
One remarkable, empowering, and self-nurturing skill to help you negotiate life’s stressors is mindfulness.
Mindfulness is defined as paying attention on purpose with curiosity and non-judgement. Cultivating this beautiful tool can support you in connecting with the infinite possibilities available to us in each moment.
The practice of bringing our attention to the present moment enriches our experience of that moment and provides space so that we can respond to stressors rather than react.
As the wise Thich Nhat Hanh writes, “Each moment is a chance for us to make peace with the world. A chance to make peace possible for the world, a chance to make happiness possible for the world.”
Yet how can we make peace with the world when we are feeling so overwhelmed, stressed out and exhausted. How can we remember to use our mindfulness tools when we feel swept up in the tide of our lives?
One constant and accessible mindfulness tool with us whether we are aware of it or not is our breath. This simple, yet powerful tool can always connect us to the present moment. Taking a few intentional deep breaths can slow our rapid shallow breathing and begin to calm our bodies. When we pause by noticing our breath moving in and out, we begin to create space around us to make nurturing choices. We brake out of our habitual reactions and our awareness then becomes our ally in creating peace. Reminding ourselves to breathe can transform our situation and empower us.
For a moment, pause, and take three deep breaths in and out.
Then ask yourself the following questions with curiosity, compassion and non-judgement:
is this the first time today that I have breathed intentionally?
How do I feel now that I have connected to my breath and the present moment?
Could using my breath help anchor me when I am feeling out of control on the waves of life?
Now take three more deep breaths in and out. You can use an empowering mantra when you breathe in like “I breathe into this moment” and when you breathe out, “I breathe out peace.”
Cultivating this simple mindfulness skill will empower you to create peace in any moment and feel more present and aware.
“When we feel happy and peaceful, our happiness and peace radiate around us, and others can enjoy it as well.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Therefore when you intentionally breathe, you are cultivating peace and happiness in the world. As with all acts of self-nurturing the ripple effects are endless!
May you embrace mindfulness in your daily life to create more peace in your life and may you nurture peace in the world from the inside out!
Please share your comments below to inspire and encourage others!
Sending you so much peace, love and gratitude,
Kelley Grimes, M.S.W.
Counselor, Author & Speaker
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Yes, it was the first time today that I breathed with intentional. A fabulous reminder of the power of Breathing. Thank you! (Still love your fireplace!)
I am so happy to have reminded you of the power of breathing and taking time to breathe intentionally throughout the day. Thank you so much for your comment and kind words about my fireplace! It just seemed like the right picture to share today to embody peace.
Thanks for the reminder to breathe and for your gentle words. I fell into my computer chair early today to do a rewrite that came to me in my sleep. Now I will walk away from the computer and get a sit in before my first client call. Blessed be.
You are so welcome Sue! How wonderful that you will nurture yourself with meditation before your first client call. Amazing how grounding our breath can be. Have a beautiful day and thank you so much for your comment!
Hi Kelley, Thanks for the reminder to breathe and to be mindful. I love Thich Nhat Hanh’s quote. Here’s to “nurturing peace in the world from the inside out!” Warm Regards, Pam
You are so welcome Pamela. I am so happy the reminder to breathe and be mindful was helpful! I hope you have a beautiful day!
The reminder about mindfulness is so important today when we need to judge and mock what we don’t like and agree with! Meaningful words, Kelley. Thank you!
Mihaela thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words. I agree that mindfulness is so important because it provides us the space to be less reactive when we disagree and more compassionate toward ourselves and others.
I am a firm believer that mindfulness should be taught in schools. We could turn this world around in one generation.
I totally agree that mindfulness should be taught in schools Barb. I feel so blessed to teach teens and families mindfulness and believe ripple effects will be endless. Thank you so much for your comment!
Kelley I love that quote and for me inner peace is a magical quality I work towards each day Those 3 deep breaths create peace within Thank you xxx
I love how you describe inner peace as a magical quality Suzie! Thank you so much for your comment!
I love that quote too Kelley 🙂
This post is such a needed reminder for me today. thank you!
Thank you so much Zeenat! I am so happy it was the reminder you needed!
I love this quote too Kelley! Breathing is one of my go to spiritual practices and allows me to pause so I come from responsiveness not reaction. Thank you for reminding me to take that deep belly breath and while I’m at it chuckle out loud! xo
What a blessing our breath and spiritual practices are in nurturing more peace and love in the world. Thank you so much for your comment and for being love in all you do Debra!