In the world of yoga, the phrase “just breathe” has many meanings, but the general mantra is a reminder to slow down and take a breathe when things are either spinning out of control or when we’ve done all we can within our control.
In the college admissions world, this could also be described as the transition from February to March.
It’s that time when students go from the quiet pause of having submitted all their applications to receiving the remainder of their admissions results.
Okay, maybe it’s because I’m a newbie to the practice of yoga and, like most newbies to anything, I’m extremely enthusiastic and find relevance everywhere, but as I read this article, I was amazed at the connection and the timing so relevant. And, I found myself modifying the steps as a “practice” for students to use when the results start rolling in as a way to pause and begin the process of making their final choice.
Step 1: Observing your breath cultivates self-awareness.
The pathway to college is all about self-awareness and taking a breath, literally and figuratively, helps students slow down and reflect on their thoughts and feelings as they receive the final admissions news. Are they disappointed at the results? Relieved? Sad? Overjoyed? Noticing that you’re not that disappointed to hear you weren’t accepted can help you realize that maybe the college isn’t tops on your list. Conversely, being more excited than you thought signals that you’d be happier there than you might have earlier imagined. Being aware of how you feel helps you then decide how you want to respond.
Step 2: It focuses your mind:
When you then combine observing how you feel, from a calm state with focusing your mind, it’s a perfect combination to begin the process of deciding what’s next. You can then think about what information you already have, what else you need to find out, what questions to ask and where to go to get the answers you need to make a well-informed choice.
Step 3: It helps you connect to your thoughts:
My favorite line is “you have your thoughts, not your thoughts having you”. With the new knowledge that’s been gathered, and the feelings experienced from the initial news, the student can make the connection from the beginning of their journey to the present using all the experience and wisdom they’ve gained to make a choice based on their values, goals and interests. Taking pause to remember what their purpose is, what they want to accomplish and reinforcing the message that they create the experience they want, not the college, which means most, if not all, of the colleges they have to choose from are the right choice.
It was almost a year ago that the world was forced to take a giant pause. We all, simultaneously, had to stop what we were doing day to day and shelter in place. Amongst the sadness and grief there have also been stories of people using the time to slow down, focus on how they feel and connect with what’s important to them.
This is a great time to remind your teens that they’ve been doing this throughout the last year, that they know themselves, that they’ve got this, that they have the experience and wisdom and insight to create success at any one of the colleges they choose.
And…..to continue to just breathe.