Carry it with you - Mindfulness integration & quick tips
One mindfulness quick tip we love sharing with program participants, nonprofit staff, educators, and anyone who manages moments of transition, which is honestly all of us, is the doorway breath.
Every time you walk through a doorway, you are entering a new space. Within that new space there may be different people, sensations, needs, conversations, and emotions. So as you cross the threshold, try this:
Place one hand on the doorframe and notice how it feels.
Take a slow, full breath in and all the way out. Then enter with a renewed sense of present moment awareness.
Here's why this works: that big breath in and out directly stimulates the vagus nerve, the body's longest nerve, running from the brainstem to the gut, and the key player in our parasympathetic "rest and digest" system. Research shows that even a single session of slow, deep breathing significantly reduces perceived stress, lowers pulse and blood pressure, and shifts the nervous system toward calm.
(Ertürk & Özden, 2025, Journal of Clinical Medicine — via NIH/PubMed)
We call what we're leaving behind "task residue" - the thoughts, emotions, and sensations that linger from the previous moment and the previous space. They may not be what's needed in this next present moment. The doorway pause, combined with that one full breath, helps us regulate ourselves, especially when we're coming in a little hot, and brings a renewed openness to whatever comes next.
Give it a try this week and let me know what you notice.
Hit reply and share.
Warmly,
Julia
Scroll down for mindfulness resources.
Reminder: All CMP Programs are in the Eastern Time Zone.
Erika's Blog: You've Got Some Nerve
Good Morning, Autumn - A 21 Day Meditation Series
