Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais - Finding Stillness: A Guided Holiday Meditation with Dr. Michael Gervais

Episode Date: December 23, 2024

Happy HolidaysToday, we’re doing something a little bit different – I wanted to take a moment to reflect on something I think many of us experience this time of year: joy, connection, and—if we’re being honest– the holidays can be a time for big emotions. They have this incredible way of amplifying everything. The fun feels extra fun, and the challenging moments?... They can feel extra challenging. From navigating travel to managing family dynamics, or even just trying to stay present while a thousand other things pull at your attention—it’s not always easy to find your footing.So today, we want to offer you something to help you radically flourish during the holiday season, during the season of big emotions, whatever those emotions might be – a guided mindfulness so you can approach the holidays with a bit more ease, clarity, and joy.This isn’t about perfection or turning the holidays into a highlight reel. It’s about showing up as your most authentic self, finding those moments of gratitude and connection that can make this time of year special, and letting go of the things that don’t serve you.This meditation is about 14 minutes—just enough time to hit pause, reconnect with yourself, and set the stage for a holiday season that feels a little more intentional.So, find a quiet spot and settle in. Here’s to navigating the holidays with presence and purpose._________________Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more powerful conversations at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMasteryGet exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter Download Dr. Mike's Morning Mindset Routine! https://www.findingmastery.com/morningmindsetFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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I know, Stuart, you're still listening here. So getting enough protein matters. And that can't be understated, not just for strength, but for energy and focus, recovery for longevity. And I love that David is making that easier. So if you're trying to hit your daily protein goals with something seamless, I'd love for you to go check them out. Get a free variety pack, a $25 value and 10% off for life when you head to davidprotein.com slash finding mastery. That's David, D-A-V-I-D, protein, P-R-O-T-E-I-N.com slash finding mastery. Okay, welcome back or welcome to the Finding Mastery Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Gervais by trade and training a high-performance psychologist. I just want to start by saying happy holidays. And I want to take this moment to reflect on something I think many of us are experiencing this time of the year. There's a joy, there's a connection.

And if we're being honest, the holidays can be a time for big emotions they have this incredible way of amplifying everything and the fun feels a little extra fun and the challenging moments well they can feel extra challenging too so from navigating travel to managing family dynamics or even just trying to stay present with the thousands of other things that are pulling your attention, it's not always easy to find your footing. So today we're going to do something different. We want to offer you something to help you radically flourish during the holiday season, during the season of big emotions, whatever those emotions might be for you.

This mindfulness that I'm going to guide you through is about 14 minutes long, just enough time to hit pause, to reconnect with yourself, and to set the stage for a holiday season that feels a little more intentional. So find a quiet spot and settle in. And here's to navigating the holidays with presence and purpose. To get started, just settle in wherever you are. It sounds so simple, yet it actually can take some time to do. It takes patience to really settle in, to relax. Now you already know how to relax. You've done it thousands of times in your life. So as you begin, just take a moment first to decide if you want to keep your eyes open or closed.

If closed, go ahead and close them now. And if open, allow them to gently rest, letting your vision soften, maybe even becoming blurry, with your eyes becoming heavy, more relaxed. Now, either way, it's your choice, your way of starting to become more relaxed, more present. As you're settling in, all the thoughts and worries of today are not important. When your mind begins to wander, that's normal. Just say hello and goodbye to your thoughts and return back to the task at hand. The task right now is to simply settle in to the space you're in, the body you're in.

Allowing yourself to trust the surface that you're on. If you're laying on the floor, just trust the floor. If you're laying in bed or sitting in a chair or standing, just trust the surface under you, allowing your body to rest. Paying attention to the actual sensations of the contact you're making. Now, just adjust your body to find a position that is stable, just poised, where you're balanced over your body. Beautiful. Notice that you're starting to enter a new way of engaging with this moment. Just a bit more focused. More relaxed.

Gently bring awareness to your breathing. Just notice it. Notice the actual physical sensations of your inhale. And notice the difference between your inhale and your exhale. Feeling each breath as it goes in and as it goes out. Just bringing awareness to your inhale and your exhale. That's it. Without trying to fix it or change it or regulate it in any way.

Just notice your inhale and your exhale. Notice that your breathing is effortless. There is a flow to it. It's natural. It's easy. Your job is to not critique or judge or fix it. Just observe it. Notice that your breathing is actually exactly right for you right now. You can adjust it in whatever ways feel natural or organic. There's nowhere to go. There's nothing

to do in this moment other than following one breath at a time. Just allowing your body to be here, to be a bit still with a sense of dignity, a sense of poise and resolve, and also noticing an integrity about you in this very moment, a wholeness, a completeness.

It's reflected by your posture and your breathing now let's take this just a bit further to become even more relaxed and more focused take a nice deep breath in through your nose. Feel the tension. Take an extra little sip at the top. Feel that tension. And now enjoy a long exhale through your nose. And just pause at the bottom. Beautiful.

Now go ahead and take another deep breath in through your nose. Starting at the lower lens, all the way up. Feel that tension at the top. Take a little extra sip. You can do a little bit more. Notice the tension and enjoy the exhale. And on the exhale, really enjoy it. And then just pause at the bottom of the breath.

You're okay. Just notice the stillness. Notice the space. Beautiful. Breathe in. Again, feel the tension at the top. An extra little sip. That's it.

Beautiful. And again, enjoy the exhale. And at the bottom, just pause into the silence, the stillness, into the space you're creating. Now at this point, just let your breathing be normal and rhythmic however you want to breathe whatever the tendency is you want to take a deep breath beautiful if you want to take a nice shallow breath no problems just let it be observe and just let go. Continue to simply just watch one breath at a time,

committing all of your attention to being here right now. There's nowhere to go. There's nowhere to be. So be here now. Again, with all of your might, focusing all of your attention on your inhale and then your exhale. And when your mind wanders gently bring it back to focusing on one breath at a time

beautiful now turn your attention to gravity and notice how it's working on your body. It's one of the most powerful forces on the planet. It's keeping our planet in orbit, keeps us connected to the earth. Just notice how you're naturally compelled to be grounded. Just letting gravity pull you into the center of the earth. Let your body feel the effects of gravity. Heavy and relaxed. We all have unique bodies.

I'm going to give you some prompts, so adjust as you see fit. Just let your feet relax. Let your toes go. Let your arches relax. Let gravity pull your feet down into the floor, down into the earth's core. Let your calf muscles go. You know how to do this. Just let them be long. Let your hamstrings melt away. Let your quads relax. Let all the little muscles around your knees relax. Let your glutes and hips relax.

Very warm, very heavy. Although you could, it would be difficult to lift your legs. They're so warm and heavy in this moment. Just keep letting go. Let your lower back go. Let your mid back go. Let your upper back relax. Warm, heavy.

Beautiful. Give your traps a break. Just let them be heavy. Notice that gravity is tugging on your elbows as your biceps and triceps become long and relaxed. Notice all the weight in your forearm. Noticing how heavy your arms are. Now bring your attention to your fingertips.

Notice that they're throbbing. It's not that they just began to throb, they always have. Your awareness is just in a different place now, more aware. Connected to the natural rhythm in your body. Let the top of your head relax. Let your forehead go. Let your eyes be soft. Let the space between your eyes rest.

Relax your jaw. There you go. This is what it feels like to be here right now. Everything in our lives is in a constant state of change. Your body, your emotions, your thoughts, the world around you, nothing stays the same. This moment has a new moment waiting for us to arrive to our best ability. We are better when we work with change, when we are present, with a sense of stillness

and strength and agility to eloquently adjust to the unfolding moment. So for now, notice the stillness within you. Take a nice deep breath in. Enjoy the exhale. Just enjoy the stillness. Allow your breathing to be normal and rhythmic. Notice the space and the silence that you're part of. Just observe and notice the way it feels to be in your unique body. You can adjust at any point, but there's a stillness, a strength. Knowing that the sturdiness that you feel right now

can be brought forward in any moment of your life. In this practice right now, you are becoming connected to a deeper silence, a deeper stillness and wisdom. Enjoy this space for just a handful of moments. There's nowhere to go and nowhere to be. So just be here one breath at a time. Thank you. nice work and i just wonder i wonder how you'll bring this part of yourself forward later today or later in life. I just wonder.

Okay, nice work. As we're rounding the end of this phase, just take a nice deep breath in. Enjoy the exhale. Allow your breathing to be normal and rhythmic. And just go ahead and move your body around. And when you're ready, open your eyes. And just take a moment to notice.

Notice what it feels like to be you in this moment. Nice work. I want to encourage you to really enjoy the becoming of yourself.