Hey there, it's Michael on Mondays. I love sharing a shorter practice with you to help you navigate today's uncertainty with more mindfulness, resilience, and grace in the world today. There's so much judgment, which I'm sure you can feel and have experienced. But as we judge, we tend to only look at the tip of the iceberg.
We might not consider what we can't see. After all. The largest part of an iceberg is underneath the water. You can also find this practice on my pause, breathe, reflect app, which is free to download in Apple's App Store and on Google Play. I hope you find it valuable and meaningful.
When ready, find a comfortable position and as you settle in, you can close the eyes. Keep 'em open or have a soft gaze if that makes you feel a little bit more comfortable, and we'll drop in taking a few healthy inhales, a nice slow releasing exhales,
giving yourself permission to tune out all the noise from outside. As you settle into the moment
and as you come into the natural rhythm of the breath. You can invite your body to relax,
softening the shoulders, bringing some ease to the jaw, and you can even put on your best Mona Lisa's smile.
I invite you now to bring to mind someone you know who's causing you some tension. The relationship is stressful, but not too stressful. This person may know how to press all your buttons. Could be a colleague or a friend, or maybe a neighbor, or even. A family member,
and as you bring them to mind, pay attention to what comes up. You might notice different thoughts or emotions, sensations in the body,
and offering your attention to your narrative about this person.
On why they do what they do, why they behave in the way they behave.
I invite you now to bring to mind the image of an iceberg.
Its tip jetting out of the water. And it's mass resting below the water surface,
and I invite you to think about this person's behavior as their tip of the iceberg. It's what you can see.
It is so easy to tell the story of that person or the iceberg based on what's above the water surface.
And now I invite you to dive below the water surface us seeing the entirety of the iceberg. Trying to see the entirety of this person who's pressing your buttons
below the surface lies their life experiences, their values, their worries, and doubts. It's all the stuff that makes them who they are,
taking some time here to appreciate that they're more than just their behavior. There's a deeper story to who they are that you might not fully understand.
And with this perspective, see if you could ease the judgment you have toward this person.
Allow it to soften,
and when you feel ready, you can begin to ease your attention. And start to flutter the eyes open and wiggle your fingers and toes. I hope you enjoyed the practice, and if you know someone who might find it valuable as well, I hope you'll share it with them. You can find this practice as well as many, many more.
On my pause, breathe, reflect app, which you can download for free in Apple's App Store and on Google Play. And until Wednesday's episode, may our practice together benefit all living creatures and may we celebrate our scars as golden symbols of our strength and resilience.