Embrace the moment

My "E" theme for the A to Z blogging challenge is a phrase: Embrace the moment.

Each of us Experiences stress. If you're a writer, you're always concerned with deadlines, Editing, cranking out new words, creating sympathetic characters, dreaming up Exciting plots, and not feeling guilty about all the housework and other chores that inEvitably pile up.

Here's a little deep-breathing Excercise I learned that truly does help settle a person when he or she is strEssed or tEnse. First, you close your eyes and breathe deeply--in and out. You refuse to allow anything to Enter your mind while you're doing this Exercise (which takes only a couple of minutes) and you think the first half of the phrase on the inhale and the last half of it on the Exhale.

The Exercise focuses on the word C E N T E R:

• Completely / surrender
• Empty / of Expectations
• Name / your work
• Trust / your resources
• Embrace / the moment
• Return / refreshed

I find myself doing this Exercise if I can't fall asleep, when some idiot is going ballistic at the office, on an airplane when an Eight-month old is crying inconsolably in the seat behind me.

It's not yoga, it's not medication, and it's not a miracle. It's just a little, bitty way to Ease up when life is getting you down.

Care to share any of your own relaxation techniques?