the exhale sit

Sit anywhere the house will allow — the edge of the bed, the kitchen stool while the dal settles. Let the phone be in another room, doing whatever phones do alone.

Tonight, give the whole minute to the out-breath, since the out-breath is where trust lives.

Breathe in through the nose, slow, for a count of four. Rest at the top for a moment, the way a swing rests at its highest point. Then let the breath out for a count of six — longer than feels efficient — and let it carry the day's checking with it. Settle for a beat before the next one begins.

Three rounds. That is all this is.

If the mind wanders to tomorrow's tiffin, that is not a failure; walk it back gently, once. Three rounds, and you can stop here.