Category Archives: Calmness

Meditation is the ultimate “Go-To” App

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Meditation is the ultimate “Go-To” App we can access whenever we need to reset and settle ourselves.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by THLT LCX

We live in a world obsessed with Apps that promise calm, focus, and productivity. Yet the most powerful one doesn’t need downloading, data, or devices — it’s already built into us.

Meditation is the ultimate “Go-To” App, accessible anytime the noise of life overwhelms us.

One mindful breath can reboot our inner systems, slowing the mental scroll and restoring clarity.

When tensions rise or thoughts spiral, no update or subscription is required — just a willingness to pause. In that pause, we reconnect with the steady rhythm beneath all distractions.

The best technology of all might be the quiet awareness that has been waiting patiently within us.

EXERCISE:

Instead of reaching for yet another digital fix, try this:

Close your eyes, inhale through your nose to the count of four and slowly exhale through your mouth to the count of six.

Repeat this ten times or for three to five minutes, if time permits.

The world will still be noisy, but you will be quieter inside it and that can change everything!

Begin your day with slow calming activities

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Begin your day with slow, calming activities. Like a car on a cold morning, you need some time to warm your engine before you put your day into drive.

Image from Unsplash by Cody Black

In athletics we all know that we should stretch and warm up our muscles before the game begins to improve performance and avoid injury.

How much time do you give yourself to warm up your engine before you hit the gas pedal of your days?

Few of us take enough time to fully prepare ourselves for the day ahead. After a few slams of the snooze button and  a little personal hygiene, many people leap into action with only something caffeinated “for the road.”

EXERCISE:

With the cooler months ahead, how can you make it a point to start your day with a few more calming activities to warm you up for the daily trip ahead?

“I need to take a sacred pause, as if I were a sun warmed rock in the center of a rushing river.”

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“I need to take a sacred pause, as if I were a sun warmed rock in the center of a rushing river.”

—Dawna Markova, consultant member of the Society for Organizational Learning

Image from Unsplash

To what degree is your life like a rushing river of endless “to do” items? How often do you feel swept away, pulled under, perhaps even drowning in the commitments and urgencies of life?

How often do you experience peace of mind or a sense of calm centeredness throughout a typical workday or weekend?

If you are like many of us, your answer may be, “Not nearly enough.”

EXERCISE:

Consider the importance of adding a few more “sacred pauses” to your day to regain your footing and catch your breath so that you may fully experience a more satisfying life.

Consider meditation, prayer, walks in nature, exercise, power naps, and digital fasting as some potential strategies. Please reply to this post with some added suggestions you have found helpful.