Most of us have heard the advice to “check-in with yourself” … usually a suggestion about something one can do periodically and throughout the day. Often because we’ve been frantic, juggling, busy … or simply annoying 😉
But it’s hard to really “check in” if we haven’t first “checked out” and cleared a space. Checking out both physically, but also emotionally, and mentally. Step back. Pause. Gently put your inside chatter and thought and thinking in a box. Put it aside and check out of that time and space. And only then …
… Find and sit in a quiet, private place. Check-in with your whole self. Scan your body, looking for signals. Feel your state of being. Really look at it and experience it. Notice tension, temperature, heartbeat … just observe what you feel. If your mind drifts, simply notice the thoughts and let them go, like clouds passing by. And come back to your center and your being.When ready, note how you’ve been being (in your head, your heart, and your body). Even jot notes in your journal if that’s your practice. Note what is familiar and what is different or familiar. Notice what you’ve never noticed before.
Anna Minto - Transformational Change 