3-minute guided letting go practice for appreciation — before a presentation

About this practice

For the times before a presentation when appreciation takes up more room than you would like — 3 minutes, letting go. A guided session of about 3 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: appreciation

Appreciation deepens by staying, not by listing. A moment held for two breaths registers differently from a moment catalogued.

It tends to show up as:

• Rushing past small kindnesses
• Not noticing ordinary comforts
• Thank-yous left unsaid

Slowing down for a moment is what turns something pleasant into something that stays with you.

Doing this before public speaking

• Do it somewhere private, or in the washroom if needed
• Slow the exhale deliberately and check your speaking pace after
• Warm the voice by reading a line aloud, not by staying silent

Rushing is the tell of nerves. A slower breath now is what sets a slower pace in the room.

How letting go works

Letting go is about loosening grip rather than dropping things. It works on the effort attached to a problem — the holding, rehearsing and bracing — which is separable from the problem itself.

• Pick one thing you are gripping and loosen a single finger
• Release the effort with the exhale, not the issue
• Set down temporarily; you can pick it up again after

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00There is nothing to get right here. Nothing is being scored.
2. 0:12Ask yourself what you could stop holding for the next sixty seconds. That one is a good start.
3. 0:28You can think about other things. When you notice, come back. That's the whole practice.
4. 0:42Notice the small gap after each exhale. Rest there for half a second.
5. 0:55Notice your breathing getting quieter on its own, without you deciding anything.
6. 1:08Feel the front of your chest. Notice it rise and fall once.
7. 1:21You are allowed to be unimpressed by the ordinary moments worth savoring. Indifference is a legitimate response.
8. 1:36Notice the space around the thank-you waiting to be said. It is there, even if it is small. Put your attention in that space.
9. 1:55Notice the first breath of the day versus this one. They're the same mechanism.
10. 2:09Remind yourself, slowly: I am safe in this moment, even while the overlooked kindnesses is here. Safety and difficulty can share a room.
11. 2:27Notice whether you're breathing or holding. Start breathing again.
12. 2:38With each exhale, let a little of the effort go. Not the problem — just the effort.
13. 2:53Come back at your own speed. The room will wait.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.