A Circuit Breaker for Stress | Bonus Meditation with Dawn Mauricio
This episode features a guided meditation from Teacher of the Month, Dawn Mauricio, designed to interrupt stress and anxiety by finding moments of clarity and rest, even amidst chaos. It offers a sample of monthly meditations available at danharris.com.
Deep Dive Analysis
8 Topic Outline
Introduction to Managing Stress and Anxiety
Introducing Dawn Mauricio and Monthly Guided Meditations
Understanding the Challenge of Slowing Down
Guided Meditation: Noticing Visual Surroundings
Guided Meditation: Focusing on Physical Sensations
Guided Meditation: Attending to Sounds
Guided Meditation: Exploring Scents and Tastes
Conclusion: The Power of Small Pauses
2 Key Concepts
Circuit Breaker on Stress/Anxiety
This concept refers to the ability to find small moments of clarity to interrupt the momentum of feeling revved up, stressed, or anxious. It's about instituting a pause or a break in the escalating energy of overwhelm.
Interrupting Momentum (of Chaos)
Rather than trying to shut out chaos or force rest, this approach focuses on gently pausing or slowing down when one is operating at full speed, whether physically, mentally, or emotionally. It's about creating a subtle shift to invite in a breath, a pause, or more space.
3 Questions Answered
It's possible to find small moments of clarity to create a 'circuit breaker' on stress or anxiety, such as through guided meditation, which can interrupt the momentum of these feelings.
This meditation aims to gently interrupt the momentum of chaos, not to shut it out or force rest, but to create space by noticing what is present with kindness and allowing for small pauses.
Finding rest doesn't require a big leap; small pauses and simple moments of sensing and slowing down, like those practiced in this meditation, can offer the necessary space to meet oneself with more care.
17 Actionable Insights
1. Find Stress Circuit Breakers
When feeling freaked out or stressed, actively seek “little moments of clarity” to institute a “circuit breaker” on escalating anxiety.
2. Seek Rest Amidst Chaos
It is possible and beneficial to find “a little moment of rest, even in the middle of a shit show,” to manage overwhelm and interrupt momentum.
3. Gently Interrupt Momentum
Instead of trying to shut out chaos or force rest, focus on gently interrupting your current momentum to create a shift in your state.
4. Utilize Small Pauses
When overwhelmed or burnt out, understand that rest doesn’t require a big leap; instead, use small pauses and simple moments of sensing and slowing down to create space for self-care.
5. Invite Pauses and Space
Even when running at full speed, choose to invite in a breath, a pause, or a little more space to interrupt momentum and experience something different.
6. Consciously Invite Relaxation
Invite your body to relax by silently saying “May I relax?” or by noticing and softening any areas where you are bracing.
7. Integrate Learning with Meditation
Use guided meditations specifically crafted to help “pound” learned information from interviews or episodes “into your neurons” for deeper integration.
8. Adopt Comfortable Posture
Begin a moment of rest or meditation by setting yourself up in a comfortable posture, whether seated, standing, or lying down.
9. Settle with Open Eyes
To settle into a meditation, keep your eyes open and take a few full breaths, adjust your posture, or look around the room.
10. Observe & Acknowledge Breath
Look around your environment, simply noticing what you see, while simultaneously acknowledging that you are breathing without needing to change or overly focus on it.
11. Name Five Visible Objects
With eyes open, intentionally acknowledge five things you can see by silently naming each one, pausing to notice sensations; if distracted, name five colors instead.
12. Close or Lower Eyes
After completing the visual scan, you have the option to close your eyes or turn them downward if that feels comfortable.
13. Notice Four Body Sensations
Intentionally feel and silently name four physical sensations in your body (e.g., tingling, ache, hot/cold), pausing between each one, without needing perfect labels.
14. Notice Three Distinct Sounds
Tune into the sounds around you, intentionally noticing and silently naming three different sounds, shifting attention to avoid repeating the most dominant one.
15. Notice Two Scents
Turn your attention to scents, silently naming two you can detect (or recalling favorite ones), pausing between each to notice any arising thoughts, sensations, or feelings.
16. Notice One Taste
Conclude the practice by noticing one taste, either from the last thing you ate/drank or by recalling tastes from your last meal.
17. Open Awareness to Present
For the final moments of practice, allow your awareness to be open to whatever attracts your attention, such as a sound, and gently take in the light and shapes around you.
3 Key Quotes
It is possible to find little moments of clarity to institute a kind of circuit breaker on your stress or anxiety.
Dan Harris
This meditation isn't about shutting out the chaos or forcing rest to happen. It's about interrupting the momentum, even gently.
Dawn Mauricio
When we're in the thick of burnout or overwhelm, finding rest can feel impossible. But remember, it doesn't have to be a big leap.
Dawn Mauricio
1 Protocols
Meditation to Interrupt the Momentum of Chaos
Dawn Mauricio- Set yourself up in a comfortable posture, which could be seated, standing, or lying down.
- While keeping your eyes open, settle into the meditation by taking a few full breaths, adjusting your posture, or looking around the room.
- Invite your body to relax by silently saying, 'May I relax?' or by noticing and softening any areas where you're bracing.
- Take a moment to look around the place you're in, simply noticing what you see, while simultaneously knowing that you are still breathing.
- Keeping your eyes open, intentionally acknowledge five specific things you can see, silently naming each one and pausing before moving to the next. If distracting thoughts arise, try naming five colors instead.
- After noticing your fifth object, you can close your eyes if you feel like it, or turn them downward.
- Begin to notice the physical sensations you feel, such as tingling, an ache, hot or cold, or where your body meets the ground.
- Intentionally feel four sensations in your body, silently naming each and pausing before moving on to the next.
- Begin to tune into the sounds going on around you, whether outside the room, or internal sounds like your breathing or belly grumbling.
- Intentionally notice three different things you can hear, silently naming each one and shifting your attention to distinct sounds.
- Turn your attention to the scents around you; if nothing is obvious, try smelling your clothes, moving to a place with stronger odors, or bringing to mind some of your favorite scents.
- Silently name two scents, pausing between each and noticing any thoughts, sensations, or feelings that arise.
- Finally, notice one thing you can taste, tuning into the last thing you ate or drank, or recalling tastes from your last meal.
- For the final few moments, allow yourself to be aware of whatever is attracting your attention at a given moment, such as a sound, or gently taking in the light and shapes around you.