Our brains are amazing, so amazing that even with all the wonderful advances in technology, neuroscientists are only still scratching the surface as to the way they work. But this fabulous brain can work for us and it can work against us stressing us out, sleepwalking into addictive behaviors or just leaving us feeling far away from any semblance of balance. But the moment we realize we’re out of balance is a moment where we have touched a glimpse of balance.

This space of awareness is a “choice point” to understand this nugget of wisdom and practice:

“When we are able to settle into truly being present to ourselves, we begin to get the sense that home lies within us. There’s nothing to get, we already have it, it’s all right here. The Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh has a wonderful phrase that helps us realize this:

‘Breathing in, I have arrived. Breathing out, I am home.’

You can shorten it to ‘arrived’ on the in-breath and ‘home’ on the out-breath.

Take a minute to practice this and notice what arises.”

~ Mindfulness Meditations for the Anxious Traveler

Saying these phrases along with the breath is grounding. Focusing on the breath brings awareness to the body which has been shown to be inversely correlated with our mental ruminations about the future and the past. At the same time you’re reminding yourself of this ancient wisdom that you have already arrived to the only point there is to arrive to, “here.” In this place called “here” you are home, have everything you need and it’s going to be okay.

Practice this for yourself a few times throughout the day and definitely when you’re traveling. Allow your experience to be your teacher.

As always, please share your thoughts, stories and questions below. Your interaction creates a living wisdom for us all to benefit from.

Woman breathing photo available from Shutterstock

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Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. is author of The Now Effect, co-author of A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook, Foreword by Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Mindfulness Meditations for the Anxious Traveler: Quick Exercises to Calm Your Mind, the Mindful Solutions audio series, and the Mindfulness at Work™ program currently being adopted in multiple multinational corporations. Join The Now Effect Community for free Daily Now Moments, Weekly Updates and tips and free access to a Live Monthly Online Event with Elisha Goldstein, PhD. He is a clinical psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles.

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    Last reviewed: 22 Jan 2013