It's a crazy world. Right now, it feels crazier than ever. And the macro is affecting my micro. My BIGS are old enough to know what is going on in the world. It disturbs them, and me. My littles feel the disturbance, and everything feels off.

How do we reset when everything feels shaken? How to we find center again? Since I became a mama, I have used one kind of mindfulness practice or another to creep back towards some semblance of center when things get disturbed.... and it doesn't always take horrific news to make an off-kilter day. Sometimes it's the non-sleeping habits of the newly toothed toddler, or the finicky eating followed by complaints of the 7 year old, or the fact that I just have TOO MANY THINGS TO THINK ABOUT! It all becomes a mindless mess.

Unless.

Unless I take {a moment} or, sometimes multiple moments strung together, hopefully NOT only in the bathroom, to reset my self. Here are some of my favorite ways to get it together:

Sun Salutations: These have the advantage of being a moving meditation, a prayer in motion is how I like to think of them. Even if I just do 3, I tend to feel better. Sometimes I choose a word to focus on (love, breathe, peace, calm). Sometimes I do my gratitude practice this way, devoting each move or salutation to particular thing I am grateful for. And sometimes I just listen to the sound of my breath.
Calming Breath: Speaking of breath, here's a pranayama (breath technique) that I learned from Dr. Andrew Weil, The 4-7-8 Breath
Dance Party: Anyone who knows me knows that dancing is my thing. I like to switch it up and put on different genres of music. Hey Siri, play me some Funk....
Observing the Senses: Take a moment to just notice what you are hearing. Or smelling, Or, touching. Or, grab one raisin or similar small piece of food from the cupboard and really taste it as you eat it, taking as long as you can.
Recorded Meditations: If I have more time, usually before sleeping, I listen to a meditation. Some of my favorites right now are from Tara Brach, an amazing meditation teacher. I also use meditations with my kids. The book Building Emotional Intelligence by Linda Lantieri, which was written in response to the 9/11 tragedy, has some amazing resources, including guided meditations for different ages.
Time in Nature: This is probably my favorite way to reset. Luckily, I live in a fairly temperate climate, a beautiful area, and am able to do this frequently. Just because I am able doesn't mean I do, but it IS my best medicine.

So, what about you? How do you add mindfulness to your days? What is helping you right now?