Day 66 - A Year to Clear - Answer The Phone - Calming Meditation

/

Lesson 66: Answer The Phone - Calming Meditation

“When the telephone rings, the bell creates in us a kind of vibration, maybe some anxiety: “Who is calling? Is it good news or bad news?” . . . The next time you hear the phone ring I recommend that you stay exactly where you are, and become aware of your breathing: “Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile.””
— Thich Nhat Hanh

Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, writer of Present Moment, Wonderful Moment, brings in a mindful verse. This is a powerful calming meditation exercise that doesn’t necessarily need to be used for answering phone calls but I think in general. I tend to do a similar meditation at work. Just to take a step back, do some breathing and continue on with the work.

Really you have to close your eyes, breathe out any tension or anxiety you have. I’ve mentioned before that I imagine this as like a black energy or smoke escaping me. Then it’s about inhaling in some goodness, which I usually imagine as white light/energy. Stephanie Bennett Vogt mentions this as “pure awareness and possibility”. It’s just about recognising how you feel at that moment but not let it overwhelm you. I find it’s about breathing out as much as you can, or fully if you’re able to. Stephanie mentions to repeat the mantra from the quote "Breathing in, I calm my body. . . Breathing out, I smile."

Once you feel like you’ve really got what you needed from this meditation, open your eyes and notice how you feel after. It’s definitely a relief and a feeling of being lighter. I love it! And though this lesson was in reference to your phone, I think you should really apply it anywhere. Sure, some people get anxious towards their phone calls and this exercise was really about doing this meditation every time you get a call/email, but I really don’t receive calls that much to practise this exercise. I think for me, I’ll apply it for any time I feel overwhelmed and need a pick me up.