Hello dear friends,
It's Jess here.
Thank you so much for choosing this meditation to overcome and release your anxiety.
As we all know anxiety is on the rise and in today's society we very very rarely stop to reflect,
Breathe and take the time out for ourselves.
So I want to say well done to you for taking this time to show yourself some love and some care.
Let's begin.
First of all I'd like you to find a comfortable seat in an upright position.
You might wish to sit on a chair or cross legged on the floor or cushion,
Whatever it is for you.
Just be sure that you're comfortable,
There's really no right or wrong.
Perhaps you'd like to loosen any tight clothing or grab a blanket to make sure you're warm.
Again there's no right or wrong,
Just whatever works for you in this moment.
Once you've found your comfortable seat,
Find some stillness here just finding your centre and gently close down your eyes.
As your body settles and your eyes close,
Bring your awareness now to your breathing.
Noticing the breath coming in and noticing the breath going out.
Follow the breath with your awareness.
Follow it all the way in,
Follow it all the way out.
Not trying to change it or manipulate it here in any way.
On the next inhale,
Breathing in for a slow count of four and exhaling out for a count of six.
Repeat this cycle here in for four and out for a count of six.
When we exhale for a longer count,
We're activating our parasympathetic nervous system,
Our rest and digest.
And here we're telling our body it's time to shut off our flight and fight mode.
If you feel that your anxiety is quite strong at the moment and you can't catch your breath or if you feel that you need to take in a bigger inhale,
Just know that your body is capable of breathing in the air that it needs at this moment and please try to not judge yourself in any way.
If the thoughts come in as they always do,
Simply taking the time to acknowledge your thoughts here without judgment,
Just observing them and letting them go.
Letting all of your thoughts drift away like clouds floating across the sky.
Holding with no judgment,
Just observing and bring your awareness back to the breath,
Back to your breathing and back to the present moment.
Be kind to yourself here.
There are really no expectations for meditation.
Simply to observe what we're feeling in the present moment.
Just allowing the body to relax here.
Bringing the awareness to the jaw and to the neck.
Noticing here any tightness or tension and just focus on softening those muscles with every exhale.
Visualizing your muscles becoming like liquid melting away.
And keeping the eyes closed here,
I invite you to start thinking about your anxious thoughts as though they're their own entity.
Give them a name.
Maybe it's simply my anxious thoughts or my anxious feelings.
They're their own entity,
Their own being and they are not part of you.
What are they called?
Just thinking about those feelings or thoughts as though they're not a part of you but simply a visitor who comes to visit your mind occasionally.
And keeping that in mind,
I'd like you to repeat the following phrases internally.
Hello my anxious feelings.
Thank you for visiting me.
Welcome.
I hope you're well.
Is there anything that you'd like to tell me?
Just allow those words to resonate in your mind.
Hello my anxious feelings.
Thank you for visiting me.
Welcome.
I hope you're well.
Is there anything you'd like to tell me?
And imagine now your anxious feelings are present with you at the moment.
Take a moment here to completely embrace these feelings.
Tell them that you love them and you are so grateful that they are trying to keep you safe.
Internally repeat.
Thank you for keeping me safe.
I love and appreciate you but I don't need you right now.
Inhaling here,
Imagine you're breathing in a bright white light of positive healing energy and when you exhale,
Imagine you're breathing out that same energy to all of the people close to you.
Inhaling the bright white light.
Exhale,
Feel yourself becoming lighter now and feeling more free.
And as you inhale,
Feel the love and the positivity from all of those people around you.
All of the people meditating in the world right now or maybe your close friends and family.
I invite you here to place your hand over your heart and internally say I am so loved.
I am so valued.
I am not my thoughts.
And just allowing those words again to settle in.
Keeping your hand over your heart here,
Just give yourself thanks for showing up to practice today.
When we're feeling anxious,
Sometimes taking the steps to be more mindful and meditate can be really challenging so I want to express my gratitude for you being here.
You are so loved,
You are so valued,
You are not your thoughts.
Have a wonderful day.
Namaste.
