Hello and welcome.
This is a short meditation for calming down anxiety.
I'm Emily Hayden and over the next few minutes I'm going to guide you through a gentle somatic check-in and a grounding meditation to help your body and mind settle.
So when you're ready let's begin.
Just finding a comfortable position,
You can be lying down,
You can be sitting up,
Just wherever you feel safe and comfortable now.
And just take a beautiful gentle deep breath in through your nose and exhale let it go.
And before we go any further I want you to just take a moment to check in with your body.
Your body as it is right now in this moment.
And just noticing your shoulders,
Your jaw,
Your stomach.
And not judging,
Just noticing any tightness,
Pressure,
Heaviness or perhaps even restlessness in this moment.
You're not trying to fix anything,
Just becoming aware.
And now just bring your attention to your breath.
Does it feel shallow,
Held?
Is it high in your chest or are you breathing quickly?
Just observe it without trying to change anything.
And now place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach or wherever feels natural to you.
And just feel into the warmth of your hands,
Your own touch.
Feel where your body meets your hands.
And again take a slow inhale through your nose and exhale out through your mouth with a soft sigh.
And again one more deep breath in and let your shoulders drop even just one percent.
Allowing your belly to soften.
Knowing these small shifts are enough.
And now bring in your focus,
Your attention down into your feet.
And if you're sitting on a chair just fill that support beneath you.
You can even imagine gentle roots growing downwards into the earth supporting you,
Holding you right up into your feet,
Your legs.
Giving you steadiness and connection.
And if your mind is busy today that's completely okay.
We're not trying to force calm.
We're just slowing down to create some space for it.
And when it's time take another deep breath in through your nose,
Holding it for a moment.
And exhale slowly through slightly parted lips.
And this just sends a clear signal to your body that you are safe.
And just imagine now a soft calming wave coming in through the crown of your head.
And with every breath let it move down to all those facial muscles.
Into your jaw,
Your throat,
Your chest,
Your stomach.
Down into your hips.
Moving down lower into your legs all the way to the ends of your toes.
And this wave helps your body relax just a little bit more.
Allowing your breath to become naturally slower.
Your mind feeling a little clearer now.
And just take one more deep breath in.
And a long gentle exhale out as you silently repeat in your mind.
I am safe.
I am steady.
I am safe in this moment.
I am safe.
I am steady.
I am safe in this moment.
And just gently let these words land into your body now as my voice goes with you.
And just checking into your body once more.
Noticing what feels different compared to where we started.
Maybe it's a lightness,
A softer breath,
More space.
Or perhaps a feeling of calmness now.
Whatever you feel is perfect and right for you in this moment.
Good.
And now one more deep breath in for your nose.
And as you exhale let it be audible.
Sigh it out.
Good.
And just stretching your arms above your head now.
Wiggling your fingers and toes.
Slowly blinking your eyes open.
Bringing gentle awareness back to your environment.
Thank you so much for meditating with me.
I've really enjoyed having you here.
And if you enjoyed this meditation you may also enjoy my course which is on Insight Timer and it's called Release Anxiety and Regulate Your Nervous System.
And it takes you deeper into nervous system regulation,
Emotional balance and practical tools to help you feel calmer and more in control.
Thank you again.
Enjoy your day.
