As you rush around this holiday season, remember to pause and enjoy being with those you love—friends, family members, even colleagues! Here’s a great way to connect in a wonderful way with yourself and others that only takes ten seconds.

Before beginning, ask someone you care about if you can give him or her a hug. If the response is yes, then follow these steps over ten counts (or ten seconds)…

Counts 1 and 2: As you inhale, wrap your arms around someone you care about.

Counts 3 and 4: Exhale deeply, as you relax into his or her arms.

Counts 5 and 6: Inhale and quiet your mind to connect all of your awareness to this amazing human being.

Counts 7 and 8: Exhale as you say something nice and loving to them to express your appreciation for all they do.

Counts 9 and 10: Breathe and enjoy being in the space with him or her.

After just ten counts, gracefully release and notice how this brief experience of mindful connection has affected how you feel.

And P.S. it is totally okay to stay much, much longer than 10 seconds!

Some of our greatest challenges stem from rushing and expecting ourselves to get too much done in too short a time. We unintentionally make careless errors, fail to absorb critical information the first (or even fourth) time around we hear it, and simply miss out on the joys that come from fully tuning into the numerous dimensions of our human experience.

The more we can find ways to Be Here Now—the 5^th of the foundational principles I teach my private clients—the more we can recapture our potential and perform at a higher level in every thing we do.

Enjoy your 10 second hugs and the gifts they bring with them!