Practice: Slow Down To Catch Up Guided Meditation with Marney Henze

The world moves fast, but your body knows another rhythm. We invited our Arizona-based practitioner Marney Henze, to guide a gentle, grounding practice that helps you step out of urgency, lengthen your exhale, and rediscover a steadier pace within. Across this calm reset, we explore how breath, posture, and simple attention can soften stress and bring you back to the only place life happens: right here, right now.

We begin by easing the nervous system with a practical technique—inhale for a comfortable count, exhale a little longer. That small shift signals safety, quiets mental noise, and makes room for clarity. From there, we scan for tension where it hides most—jaw, belly, and shoulders—releasing effort without collapsing. As the body softens, presence returns, and even the mundane becomes meaningful. Washing dishes, making the bed, brushing your teeth—each routine turns into a mindful checkpoint that anchors focus and steadies your mood.

Together, we also challenge the pressure to “keep up.” What pace are we matching, and at what cost? By questioning that reflex, we find a more honest tempo that supports clear priorities and compassionate self-talk. The result isn’t less ambition; it’s better alignment. You leave with a portable calm: a way to bring softness into your next breath, your next moment, your next task, and a reminder you’re not behind—you’re right on time.

If this practice helped you reset, share it with a friend who needs a gentler pace, follow the show for future meditations, and leave a review to help more listeners find their calm.

Learn more about how you can work with Marney & connect with her on IG @marney.henze

Chapters

• 0:08 Welcome And Practice Intentions
• 0:24 Introducing Marnie And Setup
• 0:54 Breathing To Reset The Nervous System
• 4:09 Softening The Body And Letting Go
• 6:09 Presence In Everyday Moments
• 7:53 Reframing Pressure And Pace
• 9:01 Closing With Calm And Clarity

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:08

Welcome to the Modern Zen Collective podcast. Today's practice is a gentle invitation to slow down, to step out of urgency, to soften your breath, and to reconnect with a steadier, more grounded pace within yourself. We are so lucky to have one of our wonderful practitioners from our collective Marnie Hines share this special guided meditation with you and offer a grounding, supportive practice that's designed to help you settle your nervous system and return to the present moment. So find a comfortable position, let your shoulders relax, and give yourself permission to move slowly through this experience. Take one gentle breath in and a long, unhurried breath out. And here's morning.

SPEAKER_02: 1:39

Often we can move through life on autopilot. Rushing from one thing to the next, checking the next box, trying to keep up. Even just a little inhaling for four counts, and exhaling for six counts. Or whatever breath cadence works for you. Can you make the exhales just a little bit longer than your inhales? So does your body. Notice where you might be holding on to any physical tension. Uncleanse your jaw. Relax your belly. Let your shoulders melt away from the ears. Allow everything to soften in this moment. Let yourself be held in this moment. In being fully present with the small, simple, mundane moments. Washing the dishes, making your bed, brushing your teeth, getting ready for your day. What would it feel like to bring awareness into those ordinary mundane moments? To move through them with intention. It means moving with presence. Being here for the fullness of your life. Not rushing past it. The pace of the world, the noise. It can feel like you have to try and keep up. Simply ask yourself, what are you really trying to keep up with? Maybe that pressure can be just an illusion. Maybe what you've been searching for has been waiting within you all along. It's quiet, steady, patiently inviting you to go inward. When you slow down, you make space for clarity. You reconnect with what truly matters. You're reminded that you are not behind. You're right on time. Let your breath deepen once more, inhaling presence and exhaling resistance. See if you can carry this softness with you. This slowing down into your next breath. Your next moment, your next simple task. Let this be a reminder that you can move slowly and still arrive exactly where you're meant to be. Take one final deep breath in, and as you exhale, let yourself rest in the spaciousness of this moment. Right here.

SPEAKER_01: 11:05

Right now,