It’s Just Another Manic Monday

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“It’s just another manic Monday
Wish it was Sunday
‘Cause that’s my fun day
My “I don’t have to run” day
It’s just another manic Monday”

– The Bangles, Manic Monday

How to overcome those Monday morning blues. Try this breathing practice to calm your mind.

If you are anything like me, Monday morning’s can be a bit of a grind until we get into the full swing of the day. Still replaying the events of the weekend gone by or getting overwhelmed by the huge ‘to-do’ list for the week, takes us away from the present moment and the joy of just “being”. Whether you are still in your home, at the desk or on the commute to work, try the following breathing practice and allow the mind to calm.

The idea is to find the “life” underneath our life situation by simply focusing on our breathing. By simply being AWARE of your breathing, that alone can put the brake on stress on a number of levels:

  1. To begin, notice the sensation of your breathing. Feel the air moving in and out of your body. Notice how the chest and abdomen expand and contract slightly with the in and out breath.
  2. When a thought arises, acknowldge the thought without judgement and return your attention to your conscious breathing, feeling the air moving in and out and noticing all the sensations in the body.
  3. Take two or three more conscious breaths. Now see if you can detect a subtle sense of aliveness that pervades your entire inner body. Can you feel your body from within? Sense briefly specific parts of your body. Feel your hands, then your arms, feet and legs. Can you feel your abdomen, chest, neck and head? What about your lips? Is there life in them? Then become aware again of the inner body as a whole.

Breathing isn’t really something that you do but something that you witness as it happens. Breathing happens by itself. The intelligence within the body is doing it. All you have to do is watch it happening. There is no strain or effort involved.

So today when you start to feel overwhelmed and sense your stress levels rising, return to this practice for just 3-4 conscious breaths. Feel the energy it brings. Sense the calm. Embrace your new perspective.

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