Milkshakes and Stress - A Mircodose Meditation for Mindfulness and Resilience

<p> Hey there, it's Michael. On Mondays, I like sharing a short practice with you so we can start the week off on the right foot. Today's practice is about two of my favorite topics, milkshakes and easing stress</p>
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<p>When I rode my bike across the country, I had a milkshake every day. They were so delicious. So when I heard about this study that involved milkshakes, well, I had to pay attention. In the study, the participants got two milkshakes, which in my opinion is not nearly enough milkshakes. The first one they were told was high fat and six hundred and twenty calories.</p>
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<p>The second one, which they got two weeks later, was low fat and a hundred and forty calories. With the first milkshake, there were hormonal changes in their bodies, which led them to feeling more satiated with the first milkshake than the second milkshake. But here's the wild thing. In both cases, it was the same three hundred and eighty calorie milkshake.</p>
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<p>The milkshakes were the same. The only thing that was different was their mindset, their perception of the milkshakes. Thus showing how we see something can impact how we experience it</p>
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<p>And we can say the same thing about stress. Maybe there isn't good stress and bad stress. It's just stress, and how we see it will influence how we experience it When you're ready, find a comfortable position, settle in, and take a few healthy inhales and nice slow releasing exhales Breathing up through your nose and slowly out through the mouth.</p>
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<p>Give yourself permission to slow down and come into this moment And as you do, you can relax the body, soften the shoulders</p>
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<p>Relax the jaw and the area around your eyes as you put on your best Mona Lisa smile</p>
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<p>And now notice where you feel the breath the most. Placing your attention there. And as you're breathing in, notice that you're breathing in And as you're breathing out, notice that you're breathing out</p>
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<p>I invite you to bring to mind a moment, perhaps recently, where you felt stressed Nothing too severe, perhaps just moderately stressed. Bring this moment to mind and notice what comes up in the body as you do</p>
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<p>What was your story about the stress you were feeling? Did you see the stress as good or bad? Or perhaps something else</p>
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<p>And now with some distance between that moment and now, I invite you to reflect on how you can see the stress differently</p>
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<p>How do you see the stress you experienced back then through the lens of today? Maybe through the lens of the milkshakes</p>
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<p>Can you see that moment as a growth moment? And maybe the stress was actually good or healthy stress</p>
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<p>And now you can relax your attention. And as we begin to round out this moment, I invite you to reflect on how you're looking at the stressful moments in your life. Perhaps they're just like the milkshake</p>
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<p>That when you change your perception of the moment, you might experience that moment a little bit differently. Maybe there's not good stress and bad stress, but just stress And we get to decide how we experience it</p>
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<p>Something to noodle and journal on. So when you're ready, you can open your eyes, wiggle those beautiful fingers and toes, and give the body a little stretch</p>
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<p>I hope you enjoyed this moment to pause, breathe, reflect on milkshakes and stress And I hope you'll share it with someone who you think could get value from it</p>
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<p>You can find this moment, as well as other microdose practices, on my app, which is called Pause, Breathe, Reflect, and it's now free in Apple's App Store and on Google Play. Thank you for sharing a moment with me and being part of our community, and I hope you'll check out the other episodes I have for you this week.</p>
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<p>Until then, together, let's put a beautiful ripple into the world</p>