Awareness Meditation For Stress Or Burnout In Women

A simple slow practise inviting breathe and body awareness for women who are carrying too much stress or concerned about burnout.
Witnessing the breath and present moment awareness in the body this practise invites a gentle leaning in to what is here, resting in non judgemental, compassionate awareness.

Transcript

So welcome to this guided meditation for women who are concerned about carrying too much stress.

Or who are experiencing burnout.

In this practice,

We will create a peaceful and calming space within your mind and your body.

Inviting a deep sense of relaxation and preparing you for a restful night's sleep.

Find a comfortable position,

Either lying down or sitting up.

And let's begin.

And then yeah,

And then yeah,

Arriving.

Taking a moment to notice the feet in contact with whatever is supporting you.

And notice the other points of contact between the body and whatever is supporting you.

Just kind of sensing into those pressure points.

Noticing any sensations.

And then letting the eyes rest in whatever way suits you.

Maybe lowering the gaze or even closing the eyes.

Just signaling a little pause.

A place of exquisite self-care just for you for this little time together.

Letting the body settle.

Have some comfort.

And not worrying too much in this practice about the mind wandering or whatever emotions are here.

Just really intentionally saying this space is just for you to take some exquisite self-care of yourself.

So as we often do,

Let's begin by noticing the breath.

So nothing extraordinary.

Just noticing,

Tuning into the breath that is here already.

Have you caught it?

The breath coming in and the breath going out.

Just this breath.

Noticing this breath and gently returning to this breath.

Each time you become aware of the busy mind.

Maybe concerned with something left undone.

Worried about something in the future.

Rehearsing something that offended in the past.

Or dreaming of the great escape.

No problems whatsoever.

Whatever is happening in the mind,

Greeting it with kindness and then coming back gently each time to just this breath.

This breath coming in.

This breath going out.

Maybe noticing this breath in the chest area.

The heart space.

Seeing if you might be able to feel it.

Breathing into the heart space.

Seeing if you might intentionally breathe into the heart space and breathe out from this place.

Breathing into the heart area and breathing out from the heart area.

Maybe noticing sensations of warmth around the heart space.

Perhaps even registering the heartbeat.

Breathing intentionally into and out of the heart space.

Allowing the breath to be warm,

Supportive,

Compassionate.

Wishing yourself well with each breath into the heart space.

And allowing each breath out of the heart space to be a breath in and out of the heart space.

A breath of releasing or letting go.

So breathing in warmth and compassion and on each out breath,

Releasing,

Letting go,

Even a little.

Just this breath.

Coming back,

Beginning again,

As many times as you need.

Noticing the busy mind,

The tugging emotion and coming back again to this breath in the heart space.

Breathing in compassion for you and on each out breath,

Releasing,

Letting go,

Even a little.

Maybe noticing now that the breath is slowing down a little.

So that you might be breathing in a little longer and the out breath might be a little slower.

Breathing in to the heart space and breathing out from the heart space.

Breathing in a sense of warmth and compassion and on each out breath,

Releasing and letting go,

Even a little.

So breathing in to the heart space and breathing out from the heart space.

Coming back to just this breath as many times as you need to.

Shifting the focus a little further down now to the belly and just noticing the breath in this part of the body.

Tuning in to the breath that is already here.

Listening with a compassionate heart to the breath that is in the belly.

Perhaps becoming aware of the slight rise of the belly on the in breath and the gentle falling back of the belly on the out breath.

You might even like to put a hand on the belly to notice this breath,

If that is helpful to you.

The breath in the belly,

Slight rise of the belly on the in breath and the gentle falling back of the belly on the out breath.

Watching the breath in a way like you might watch the waves on the seashore.

The wave coming in and the wave going out.

Busy mind,

Uncomfortable body,

Emotions needing attention.

Absolutely no problem.

Seeing if you might notice what is here right now for you.

What is your experience in this moment?

Greet it with kindness.

See if you might do this noticing with a certain curiosity,

But without getting involved in the story.

Just noticing what's here.

Observing it.

Watching it in a way,

Like you might watch the clouds floating across the sky.

A friendly,

Curious observer.

Then when you're ready,

Coming back again to this breath in the belly.

Tuning in to this breath in the belly.

Coming back again to this breath in the belly.

Tuning in to the breath coming into the belly and the breath going out from the belly.

Noticing the rise of the belly on the in breath and the gentle falling back of the belly on the out breath.

Breathing in ease.

And on each out breath,

Releasing,

Letting go of some tension or tightness or holding that may be in the body.

On each in breath,

Softening and soothing and creating ease.

And on each out breath,

Releasing,

Letting go of even a little tightness or tension or holding.

So that the whole body might be resting more.

Noticing now the small of the back.

Just focusing on that part of the back where the spine emerges from the sitting bones.

Very lower back.

And seeing if even in pure imagination,

Your breath might breathe right into this lower back.

Experiencing the breath in the lower back,

Creating a little ease,

A little space,

A little comfort along the lower back.

And breathing in ease.

Breathing out from the lower back.

Releasing,

Letting go,

Even a little.

Moving on up to the middle back now.

Noticing just the middle back.

Imagining your breath,

Breathing right into the middle back.

Breathing in some ease,

Some space.

And then breathing out from there.

Releasing,

Letting go,

Even a little.

Now the upper back.

Noticing as best you can,

The upper back.

Breathing right into the upper back.

Lower back.

Creating a little ease,

Some space.

And breathing out from this place.

Releasing,

Letting go,

Letting the whole upper back have some ease,

A little softness.

Coming to the shoulders.

A part of the body where we often carry or hold or have some tightness.

So taking some care and attention.

Some compassionate gaze on your shoulders right now.

Noticing how the shoulders are just in this very moment.

Leaning in.

Noticing.

Maybe your shoulders are tight,

Tense,

Uncomfortable.

Or perhaps your shoulders right now are soft and loose and relaxed.

Just noticing with the same kindness and exquisite self-care how your shoulders are right now in this moment.

Leaning in.

Noticing with kindness.

And then even in your imagination,

See if you might breathe right into your shoulders,

Imagining the breath,

Creating a little space a little ease,

Some softness in the shoulders.

And imagine your breath coming out from the shoulders,

Releasing,

Letting go,

Even a little.

And doing this now for a few breaths.

With the intention of kindness and care,

Breathing right into the shoulders.

Softening,

Soothing,

Creating some space.

And even in the imagination,

Breathing right out from the shoulders,

Releasing,

Letting go,

Releasing,

Letting go,

Even a little.

Shoulder care.

Seeing now if the shoulders might drop,

Even a little.

Or maybe not.

Noticing now the neck.

Simply becoming aware of the front of the neck,

The back of the neck.

Some kindly attention to the neck.

Becoming aware of the back of the head.

The crown of the head.

The crown of the head.

Imagining your own breath,

Massaging and soothing the back of the head,

The crown of the head.

Becoming aware of the forehead.

Letting any lines dissolve,

Even a little.

Noticing the eyes,

The eyebrows,

The nose,

The cheeks,

The ears,

And the jaw.

If the jaw is tight,

Seeing if you might open your mouth,

Ah,

And let the jaw drop,

Even a little.

Becoming aware of the mouth,

The area around the mouth,

The chin.

Inviting the whole face now to soften,

To have a little ease,

So that the whole face might release some tension.

Noticing the arms,

The weight,

The volume,

The length of the arms as they come out from the shoulders,

All the way down to the hands wherever they're resting.

Inviting some ease and some space into the arms and the hands.

Bringing the attention now to the pelvic girdle,

The big bony structure,

Hip to hip.

And gently becoming aware of all the organs in this part of the body.

Imagining your breath,

Breathing right into the pelvic girdle.

Soothing,

Softening,

Creating some space.

Breathing right in and all the way out from the pelvic girdle.

Noticing the legs now,

Coming out from the hip joints.

Becoming aware of the weight,

The length,

The volume of the legs,

All the way down to the knees.

And from the knees down to the ankles and the feet wherever they're resting.

Inviting the legs to sink,

To settle,

To release,

To let go even a little.

So that the whole body might have some gentle self-care.

And noticing a releasing of some tightness or tension.

So staying with the body now.

Noticing the breath in the body.

This whole breathing body.

Mind is busy.

Emotions are tugging.

There is nothing gone wrong.

Fantastic noticing.

Noticing with kindness whatever is here in this moment.

Practicing responding to yourself with the same kindness that you might more easily respond to another.

Then when you're ready coming back to this breathing body.

This whole body breathing.

And in the final moment of this practice wishing yourself well.

What might be your wish for yourself in this very moment?

Maybe there are some words perhaps not.

But inviting the intention to wish yourself well right here in this moment.

Noticing now again the feet in contact with whatever is supporting you.

Floor or couch or bed.

Noticing the points of contact between the body and whatever is supporting you.

Becoming aware of air circulating around you.

Coolness warmth.

Sensations of air.

And when you're ready very gently super slowly lifting the gaze or opening the eyes.

And taking a little extra time to let your body have whatever gentle movement it might like.

Maybe wiggling one finger or one toe.

Maybe massaging or moving the shoulders.

Perhaps for you it's allowing a smile on the face.

Moving your limbs a little.

Shifting the body if you're lying down.

Or maybe for you it's a big long stretch.

Or a slow yawn.

Or a loud sigh.

So nice and slowly noticing the body and letting the body have some freedom.

So thanks so much for joining me for this practice.

Reviews

Lovely 🥰 as always thank you 🙏 blessings to you and yours ❤️