The practice was created by a Buddhist teacher named Roshi Joan Halifax. Many people are adopting this practice because it helps us guide ourselves and support ourselves in any given situation.
Even the name itself invites the body and the mind to calm down and alleviate any stresses with the heart. Before practicing this method you must first find a comfortable position for your body and practice long deep breaths to soothe your mind.
<ul>
<li>Gathering Attention. It means to place your focus on a sound or an object where you're most comfortable at</li>
<li>Recalling Intention. This is to allow yourself to discover new ways to be resilient and engage in self-care.</li>
<li>Attuning to Self and Others. We need to check ourselves and to keep in mind that we are interconnected with others.</li>
<li>Considering What Would Serve. It means that self-care is not selfish.</li>
<li>Ethical Ending and Engagement. We should reflect on what we can do better moving forward.</li>
</ul>

The G.R.A.C.E. Practice

Follow this 12-minute guided meditation to gather your attention and consider what would really serve you, your self-care, and your capacity for resilience.
<figure><img src="https://cdn.mindful.org/Guided-meditation-michelle-maldonado.jpg?q=80&amp;fm=jpg&amp;fit=crop&amp;w=1400&amp;h=875" width="711" height="445"><figcaption dir="auto">Елена Шарипова/Adobe Stock</figcaption></figure>In the latest <a href="https://www.mindful.org/mindful-live-a-series-of-online-conversations/" rel="noreferrer noopener" dir="ltr">Mindful Live</a> session, <a href="https://www.mindful.org/author/michellemaldonado/" rel="noreferrer noopener" dir="ltr">Michelle Maldonado</a> discussed resilience for divided times with Mindful’s editor-in-chief <a href="https://www.mindful.org/author/heather-hurlock/" rel="noreferrer noopener" dir="ltr">Heather Hurlock</a> and offered a short guided G.R.A.C.E. practice.The practice was created by Buddhist teacher Roshi Joan Halifax, and has been adapted for many audiences and populations, Maldonado says. Each of the letters in the acronym guide us, helping us to support ourselves in any moment. Saying the name alone—G.R.A.C.E—invites the body and the mind to soften along with the heart.&nbsp;<div class="embed-placeholder" data-type="vimeo" data-id="469119976"></div><h2>A Guided Meditation for G.R.A.C.E.</h2>1. Find a comfortable position for your body. If you’re seated in a chair, place your feet flat on the floor. Allow your spine to elongate, and find a harmony between being alert and relaxed. You may choose to close your eyes or cast them in a downward gaze.&nbsp;2. Begin by taking a few long, deep breaths in and out to allow the body and mind to settle.&nbsp;<h3>G Stands for Gathering Attention</h3>3. Take a moment to gather your attention. You may <a href="https://www.mindful.org/a-meditation-to-focus-attention/" rel="noreferrer noopener" dir="ltr">place your attention</a> on the sound or sensation of your breath. With a softened gaze, you may also choose to focus on an object or a sound. Sometimes it’s useful to have options for where to place our attention for focused periods of time. I often call this a home base—a comfortable space where you can place and <a href="https://www.mindful.org/a-guided-meditation-for-gathering-your-energy/" rel="noreferrer noopener" dir="ltr">gather your attention</a>.<h3>R Stands for Recalling Intention</h3>4. Next, we’ll move to the letter R. In this moment, I invite you to recall an intention. Perhaps it’s why you are here today. Maybe the intention is to simply be open, to discover new ways <a href="https://www.mindful.org/mindful-live-qa-with-michelle-maldonado-and-heather-hurlock/" rel="noreferrer noopener" dir="ltr">to be resilient</a>, and to <a href="https://www.mindful.org/rethinking-our-self-care-during-the-pandemic/" rel="noreferrer noopener" dir="ltr">engage in self-care</a>. Whatever it is for you, I invite you to recall your intention now. Then allow it to dissipate or drop like seeds in soil waiting to be fertilized.<BLOCKQUOTE>We don’t maintain our intention or focus on our intention. We set it as a gift to ourselves.&nbsp;</BLOCKQUOTE>5. As you recall and set your intention, allow yourself to let go of it. We don’t maintain our intention or focus on our intention. We set it as a gift to ourselves.&nbsp;<h3>A Stands for Attuning to Self and Others</h3>6. Next, we’ll move to A—attuning to ourselves and others. First let’s focus on attuning to ourselves by taking the next moment to do a brief <a href="https://www.mindful.org/beginners-body-scan-meditation/" rel="noreferrer noopener" dir="ltr">body scan</a>, checking in with the body. How is it feeling? Where do you notice any sensations, or none at all? See if you can notice the type of sensations that might be present. Could it be tightness, tingling, neutrality? Notice where the sensations are in the body and label them.7. The next step is to think about attuning to others. In any kind of situation, conversation, or condition, we are attuned to others. We walk through the world alive, interconnected, and interdependent. So it’s important for us to first attune to ourselves and to take that quality of presence and awareness out into the world as we attune to and with others.So for this practice, this step might be attuning to those around you. See what it feels like to bring awareness to this space.<h3>C Stands for Considering What Would Serve</h3>8. Now, the letter C. Consider what would serve in reminding ourselves that <a href="https://www.mindful.org/self-care-is-an-act-of-resistance/" rel="noreferrer noopener" dir="ltr">self-care is not selfish</a>. It’s actually one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and others because we cannot give from an empty well. In this next moment, I invite you to be curious and open about what would really serve you, your self-care, and your capacity for resilience. What else might be needed to support you best?<h3>E Stands for Ethical Ending and Engagement</h3>9. Finally moving to the last letter in the G.R.A.C.E. practice: ethical ending and engagement. Bring to mind at least <a href="https://www.mindful.org/a-guided-meditation-for-turning-awareness-into-action/" rel="noreferrer noopener" dir="ltr">one wise action you can take</a>. Perhaps you can return to your reflection on what would serve. Maybe there’s one first step you can take here. What might that be? As you consider that, notice what it feels like.10. Taking a deep breath in and out, begin to feel your feet on the floor and your body on the chair. When you’re ready, go ahead and open your eyes.

Follow this 12-minute guided meditation to gather your attention and consider what would really serve you, your self-care, and your capacity for resilience.

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Follow this 12-minute guided meditation to gather your attention and consider what would really serve you, your self-care, and your capacity for resilience.

In the latest <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mindful.org/mindful-live-a-series-of-online-conversations/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mindful Live </a>session, <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mindful.org/author/michellemaldonado/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michelle Maldonado </a>discussed resilience for divided times with Mindful’s editor-in-chief <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mindful.org/author/heather-hurlock/" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heather Hurlock </a>and offered a short guided G.R.A.C.E. practice.

The practice was created by Buddhist teacher Roshi Joan Halifax, and has been adapted for many audiences and populations, Maldonado says. Each of the letters in the acronym guide us, helping us to support ourselves in any moment. Saying the name alone—G.R.A.C.E—invites the body and the mind to soften along with the heart.

1. Find a comfortable position for your body. If you’re seated in a chair, place your feet flat on the floor. Allow your spine to elongate, and find a harmony between being alert and relaxed. You may choose to close your eyes or cast them in a downward gaze.

2. Begin by taking a few long, deep breaths in and out to allow the body and mind to settle.

3. Take a moment to gather your attention. You may <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mindful.org/a-meditation-to-focus-attention/" rel="noreferrer noopener">place your attention </a>on the sound or sensation of your breath. With a softened gaze, you may also choose to focus on an object or a sound. Sometimes it’s useful to have options for where to place our attention for focused periods of time. I often call this a home base—a comfortable space where you can place and <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mindful.org/a-guided-meditation-for-gathering-your-energy/" rel="noreferrer noopener">gather your attention </a>.

4. Next, we’ll move to the letter R. In this moment, I invite you to recall an intention. Perhaps it’s why you are here today. Maybe the intention is to simply be open, to discover new ways <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mindful.org/mindful-live-qa-with-michelle-maldonado-and-heather-hurlock/" rel="noreferrer noopener">to be resilient </a>, and to <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mindful.org/rethinking-our-self-care-during-the-pandemic/" rel="noreferrer noopener">engage in self-care </a>. Whatever it is for you, I invite you to recall your intention now. Then allow it to dissipate or drop like seeds in soil waiting to be fertilized.

We don’t maintain our intention or focus on our intention. We set it as a gift to ourselves.

5. As you recall and set your intention, allow yourself to let go of it. We don’t maintain our intention or focus on our intention. We set it as a gift to ourselves.

6. Next, we’ll move to A —attuning to ourselves and others. First let’s focus on attuning to ourselves by taking the next moment to do a brief <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mindful.org/beginners-body-scan-meditation/" rel="noreferrer noopener">body scan </a>, checking in with the body. How is it feeling? Where do you notice any sensations, or none at all? See if you can notice the type of sensations that might be present. Could it be tightness, tingling, neutrality? Notice where the sensations are in the body and label them.

7. The next step is to think about attuning to others. In any kind of situation, conversation, or condition, we are attuned to others. We walk through the world alive, interconnected, and interdependent. So it’s important for us to first attune to ourselves and to take that quality of presence and awareness out into the world as we attune to and with others.

So for this practice, this step might be attuning to those around you. See what it feels like to bring awareness to this space.

C Stands for Considering What Would Serve

8. Now, the letter C. Consider what would serve in reminding ourselves that <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mindful.org/self-care-is-an-act-of-resistance/" rel="noreferrer noopener">self-care is not selfish </a>. It’s actually one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and others because we cannot give from an empty well. In this next moment, I invite you to be curious and open about what would really serve you, your self-care, and your capacity for resilience. What else might be needed to support you best?

E Stands for Ethical Ending and Engagement

9. Finally moving to the last letter in the G.R.A.C.E. practice: ethical ending and engagement. Bring to mind at least <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mindful.org/a-guided-meditation-for-turning-awareness-into-action/" rel="noreferrer noopener">one wise action you can take </a>. Perhaps you can return to your reflection on what would serve. Maybe there’s one first step you can take here. What might that be? As you consider that, notice what it feels like.

10. Taking a deep breath in and out, begin to feel your feet on the floor and your body on the chair. When you’re ready, go ahead and open your eyes.

The G.R.A.C.E. Practice: A Moment to Engage in Self-Care - Mindful

The G.R.A.C.E. Practice

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