September Guided Practice with UB

This September, we’re reflecting on how what you give your attention to has the power to shape your reality.

So the question becomes—who’s deciding where your attention lands?

Is it you?
Or the algorithm?
The pings, the pressure, the loop of needing to be okay even when you're not?

Lately, I’ve been noticing how insidious the distractions can be.

One minute I’m present, breathing, choosing how I show up.
The next, I’m spiraling into autopilot, pulled by urgency that isn’t mine. And I don’t realize I’ve left myself until I feel the tightness in my chest, the jitter in my gut, the tug to keep pushing even when I need to pause.

I’ve learned—over and over—that I have to be intentional with my thoughts, daily. I have to carve out a space to hear myself — goals, dreams, activism, disruption, etc. And when I don’t actively choose what to think, believe, build…something outside of myself will choose it for me.

But when I do slow down, even for a breath or two, something shifts.

The noise quiets.
The fog clears.
I remember who I am beneath the chaos.

I remember I get to choose.

Not everything deserves my attention.
Not every ask is mine to answer.
Not every feeling means something is wrong.

This month, we’re choosing to come back. To ourselves. To presence. To the steady ground beneath the swirl.

Not in a polished, picture-perfect way.
But in a deeply human way.
Breath by breath. Moment by moment.

Because you don’t need to be better.
You don’t need to push harder.
You just need space to hear yourself again.

When we pause, when we listen,
we remember—we were never lost, just overstimulated.

Try this right now:

body listening reset
No mat. No agenda. Just a few quiet moments with yourself.

Find somewhere soft to land—sitting, lying down, whatever feels supportive.

Close your eyes.
Let your hands rest—one on your chest, one on your belly.

Take a slow breath in through your nose
and sigh it out your mouth.

Then ask, gently:

– What do I need right now?
– What’s the loudest sensation in my body?
– What would it feel like to give myself permission to just be?

Let your breath keep you company.
No need to fix anything. Just notice what’s here.

You might be surprised what rises when you get still enough to hear it.

affirmation
My attention is a gift. I return to myself with care, again and again.

Let this be your invitation. To come back to center. To notice where your energy is going—and gently bring it home.

Not by escaping the noise, but by learning how to listen to yourself through it.

With love,
Mary and Team UB

📅 This month’s calendar is an invitation to root into self. Every day, you’ve got a class to meet you where you are.

🖨️ Download your September calendar to print, or use the clickable version to start your practice today.

💬 Tell us what’s helping you stay rooted this month @theunderbellyyoga.