Business Travel

Hi, and welcome to the Headspace Business Travel Exercise. So when we're traveling for business, there's usually quite a lot going on in our minds. There's not only all of the travel organization to deal with, but we're also sort of planning very often for meetings, presentations. There might be a sense of excitement in the mind anticipation, sometimes even anxiety, stress. So it's really important that we know how to use the time when we're traveling to cultivate a relaxed sense of focus. So relaxed in a sense of letting go of any on wanted or unproductive thoughts and feelings. And at the same time, just cultivating a very gentle sense of focus so we're able to be fully present when we arrive. So sitting comfortably, just putting aside any work or plans for a moment, just begin with the eyes open and just taking a couple of big, deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. And as you breathe in just aware of that sensation of the lungs expanding, and as you breathe out just aware of that fading of the muscles softening. Well, just relaxed focus as you close your eyes with the next out-breath. Just feeling the weight of the body press down, feeling grounded by that sensation of the feet on the floor, the weight of the hands and the arms resting on the legs. And just taking a moment to notice how the body feels again allowing those thoughts to come and go. Just notice whether there's a sense of anticipation, excitement in the body. Notice where there's a sense of heaviness or lightness in the body, any tiredness or tension, just becoming more aware of how the body feels. And at the same time, just beginning to notice the movement of breath in the body that rising and falling sensation and for some people it is felt in the chest, for some the diaphragm, and for some the stomach. If you can feel the movement by just gently placing your hand on the stomach. Now, as you gently rest your attention on that movement and nothing to do, just watching, feeling that sensation, the rising and falling movement. The mind will inevitably think it could be thoughts related to where you're going, what you're doing, it could be some other thoughts, whatever the thoughts as soon as you realize that the mind's wandered off just acknowledging them, letting them go and then coming back to the breath again. So as you acknowledge any distraction you can just sort of note it as way of thinking, let it go and just come back to the breath again. Just a sense of ease in resting the mind on the breath and at the same time just enough focus to realize when we've been distracted. Notice this balance of focus and relaxation just leaving the body, the mind, feeling more grounded, more present and ready for whatever lies ahead. Right now,...