Everyday, things and events can catch us off-guard; a shocking message, sad news, an argument, an off-tone from a loved one or the feeling of being overwhelmed by things. Sometimes, other things like feeling we have not met someone's expectations or have disappointed them in any way can affect us deeply.

We can still learn to love and value ourselves and find a space for some quiet in the midst of everything.

Who are we? How to be true to ourselves? How to find a true way to be?

When I feel overwhelmed and unclear about how I am feeling and how to be, I follow a simple exercise of sensing what is going on. It starts from the body. This helps me to see the bigger picture, not just the bit that is pulled apart by emotions; that is just one part of the story of who I am. The exercise helps me to feel more whole. Take your time to do this. There is no rush.

Find a space to sit quietly. Make sure you are comfortable. Have a blanket around you to keep you warm. Take a deep breath in. Just notice how you are at this moment. Acknowledge whatever you are feeling.

Take another deep breath in and slowly breathe down your spine, sensing your spine and each vertebra one by one, from your neck right down to your coccyx. Now take another breath in and breathe down your right arm to your fingertips. With another deep breath, breathe down your right leg, from your hips down to the toes of your feet. With another breath, now breathe down your left leg. And then breathe in and breathe down your left arm. Repeat this circuit 7 times. Move at a pace that suits you.

As you do this exercise, notice how you are. Do you feel different from when you first started? You might have been feeling tired, anxious or exhausted before the sitting. Notice if your body, mind and emotions feel different. What has changed? Now take in another deep breath and sense the whole of you, your body. Breathe in and sense your seat. Take in a few more breaths like this.

When you feel ready, open your eyes slowly and take in the sensation of the room you are in.

We each have the possibility, every day, even for a brief moment, to encounter this feeling of oneness. This is our natural state and our true resonance: a balance of body, mind and spirit.

You are here, in the present, in real life and in real time. Embrace who you are.