Find Your Center When You’re Riled Up

Many days, there comes a time during the day when we get riled up: upset about something, anxious, stressed, frustrated. When this happens, we can find our center.

What does that mean? It means finding the calm at the center of the storm. It means finding the natural peacefulness that’s always there.

Here’s how you can practice:

Notice you’re riled up. That’s OK — we all experience some turbulence. Just notice, and decide to practice in that moment.
You can go somewhere where you can be alone, if possible. Go outside, or to a quiet room.
Sit in stillness for a few minutes. Notice how the turbulence feels, a sensation in your body (I usually find the turbulence sensation in my torso). Allow it to just be as it is, without trying to get rid of it. Relax a little with the turbulence.
Let your attention widen, beyond the turbulence, out into your surroundings. Widen your awareness, and notice the feeling spaciousness as you open your awareness. Let yourself enjoy the peacefulness of this spaciousness.

After a few minutes, if you practice with a wider, more spacious awareness, the turbulence will often settle, like sediment settling in a glass of water. We can’t force it to settle, but if we’re relaxed and still, it often will.

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Previously published on zenhabits

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