Sit comfortably, and let your eyes close halfway, or all the way.
Inside the head it is often loud.
Half finished sentences, reminders, a song you cannot put down.
We are not going to argue with any of it.
We are going to let it settle, the way silt settles in a glass of water when you stop stirring.
Start by listening outward.
The furthest sound you can hear.
Then one slightly closer.
Then the sound of your own breathing, closest of all.
Let your attention rest on the breath, and let the noise in your head do what it likes, without your help.
Thoughts will arrive.
Each one is an invitation to leave this room.
You can decline politely, and stay.
Notice the gap between one thought and the next.
That gap is yours.
Let it widen.
There is nothing to solve in the next few minutes.
Everything on the list will still be there, and it will be easier to meet from here.
Take three slow breaths, feeling the air move all the way down.
Then open your eyes, and begin with the smallest thing.
