Mid-Day Meditations: Pausing to Reflect and Reset

Guided meditations are part of the one-day writing retreats that I offer on a rotating and recurring basis. As a writer, I know the importance of getting grounded, setting intentions, and remembering what and why I am called to write before I begin. Similarly, as a facilitator, I find that contemplative practices—whether meditations or freewriting or other grounding practices—can slow down the tendency to jump into action, interrupting autopilot and urgency modes.

This blog post shares two meditations recorded during writing retreats. Both are mid-day meditations: moments to pause, reflect, and reset before returning to work.

Both meditations invite listeners to ask:

• What is your overall energy level?
• What embodied sensations are present now?
• What emotions can you acknowledge and name?
• What is the quality of your breath?
• What would support you in moving throughout the day with more intentionality?

Whether or not you consider yourself a writer, these guided meditations can support taking intentional breaks mid-day. I offer here two lengths: a shorter 7-minute version and a longer 14-minute version. Consider turning to these meditations anytime you’d like to take a break, regain calm, and reconnect with yourself and your purpose.

Guided Meditation: Mid-Day Reset: A Brief Moment of Calm
(7-Minutes)

Guided Meditation: Mid-Day Reset: A Moment of Calm
(14-Minutes)

These guided meditations are offered through the YouTube channel @heart-head-hands, so consider subscribing for notifications of new meditations.

And check out these related blog posts, which include contemplative practices for writers and others seeking to live out commitments to justice:

• “What Is Contemplative Writing? A Definition and Guided Meditation for Writers”
• “Walking Meditation for Writers: A Contemplative Writing and Walking Practice”
• “Contemplative Practices for Setting Intentions and Welcoming the New Year”
• “Questions for Honoring Creative Energy and Play”
• “Reflective Poetry Prompts from Writing Retreats: A Contemplative Writing Practice”

Acknowledgements:
These guided meditations are influenced by my own experience with meditation, which includes learning through mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR), yoga and yoga nidra, and Reiki courses; learning and teaching through the “Contemplative Pedagogy” certificate program at Marquette University; and practicing regular meditations—with special appreciation for Buddhist Peace Fellowship, the CHANI app, generative somatics, Marty Tribble, and Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed. Over the past year, I have been reading widely books on trauma and practicing somatic experiencing (SE) exercises, with particular thanks to my acupuncturist and SE practitioner, Angela Gabriel.

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This post is written by Beth Godbee, Ph.D. (she/her) for Heart-Head-Hands: Everyday Living for Justice. Consider joining upcoming writing retreats, which include meditations like these at the beginning and midway through the day. Reach out with inquiries or to work together one-with-one.