5 Minute Meditation On Preoccupations

This meditation is designed to be practiced in the stillness following your physical exertion. As your heart rate settles from the flies and chest squeezes, we will use that physical "opening" to create a mental opening.

Settling the Physical Frame.
Lie still and feel the residual warmth in your chest muscles. Notice the tingling sensation where you just worked. This is your first lesson in "splitting": there is the sensation (the heat, the throb) and there is your awareness of it.

Observe the breath. Don't try to change it. Simply notice the air entering the nostrils. There is the "object" (the air) and there is the "knower" (your silent awareness). Rest in the space between the two.

Identifying the Preoccupations.
As you prepare to return to work, thoughts of tasks, emails, and responsibilities will naturally float to the surface. These are your "mental objects."

Instead of pushing them away, label them. When a thought about a project arises, say silently to yourself: "There is a thought about work." By using the phrase "There is," you create a thin layer of space between you and the preoccupation. You are the sky; the work thought is just a cloud passing through.

Splitting the Object from the Awareness.
Now, lean into the "split." Imagine your mind is a mirror.

The Object: A deadline, a conversation, or a worry. It appears in the mirror.

The Awareness: The mirror itself. The mirror is not the image. The mirror is not stressed by a "stressful" image; it remains cool, flat, and clear.

Practice looking at a work preoccupation and then quickly "pivoting" your attention back to the act of noticing. Ask yourself: "Who is the one aware of this thought?" Feel the silence that follows that question.

Relaxing the Grip.
The "grip" we feel regarding work is often a physical contraction. Since you just spent time squeezing your muscles, you now have the power to consciously release them.

As a work thought arises, notice if your jaw or shoulders tighten. Consciously "fly" your mind open, just as you opened your arms with the dumbbells. Drop the preoccupation. Let it fall to the side, outside of that 45-degree safety zone you established earlier. You are realizing that you can be aware of a "busy" thought without being a "busy" person.

Integration and Transition.
In this final minute, realize that this "split" awareness is your sanctuary. Even in the middle of a busy office or a complex task, a part of you remains the silent observer—untouched and relaxed.

Take a deep breath into the center of your chest. Feel the expansion. As you exhale, imagine the boundary between "work" and "self" becoming clear and healthy. You are moving back into the world of objects, but you are staying rooted in the world of awareness.

When you are ready, gently wiggle your fingers—the same fingers that held the weights—and bring this calm, split perspective into your next hour of work.