My name is Raphael and today's meditation is designed to help you manage anxiety.
If your mind is consumed by restless and persistent thoughts during this practice,
Know that that is normal.
When we are anxious,
The brain becomes overstimulated with information or with a repeated thought pattern.
This causes the breath to become inefficient and tight.
A relaxed nervous system needs a deep breath.
This meditation will help you deepen that breath,
Calm the nervous system,
And give your mind a well-deserved break from anxiety.
To start,
Find a comfortable seat with a tall spine,
Shoulder blades together.
If you prefer to sit on a chair or lie down,
Do so.
Begin by slowly rolling the shoulders up and back a few times in a circular motion,
Releasing any tension that could be stored in the neck or the shoulders.
Keep the breath fluid,
In through the nose,
Out through the nose or mouth.
Tune into the breath,
Observe the body,
Guide the attention within.
Release the rolling of the shoulders,
Inhaling fully and consciously through the nose,
Expanding the belly.
Exhale H-A through the mouth.
Inhale again deeply through the nose.
Exhale with the sound of release.
Most of us,
When we are anxious,
Breathe shallowly through the chest.
Important here to breathe through the stomach as we inhale,
Getting efficient air going through the body.
Exhaling through the mouth,
Sending oxygen to all different parts of our body.
Take a few more breaths at your own pace,
Signaling the mind to relax.
In today's practice,
We will use the breath as an anchor point.
With anxiety,
It's important to first accept it and then refocus our attention on the breath,
Away from the anxious thoughts.
While this can be hard,
With practice we can break the pattern of the mind that is stuck in this anxious loop.
Next technique we practice,
Inhale in through the nose,
Expand the belly for a count of 4.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Exhale up to 8 seconds.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Again,
Inhale for a count of 4.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Exhale out the mouth.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
With this technique,
If exhaling out the mouth is too much for 8 counts,
Adjust as needed.
One more round here together.
Inhale in through the nose.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Exhale.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
With the exhalations out the mouth,
Try to soften the collarbones.
Allow the exhalations to help you sink deeper into the surface beneath you.
Continue with the breath,
Inhaling for a count of 4 through the nose,
Exhaling for a count of 8 out through the mouth.
Slow down the breath.
Relax the nervous system.
Practice presence.
When your mind drifts towards anxious thoughts,
That is normal.
Use the technique.
Focus your attention back on the breath.
With time,
You will gain power over your attention.
When we are consistently anxious,
The sympathetic nervous system is activated and the body can enter fight-or-flight mode.
This can cause an increased heart rate,
Rapid breathing,
And a flood of stress hormones as the body and the mind perceives threat.
This technique of simply elongating the exhalations will activate the parasympathetic nervous system,
Which is responsible for resting and digesting.
By lengthening the exhalations,
You are lowering the heart rate and encouraging the body and the mind to relax.
Continue a few more rounds,
In for 4 counts through the nose,
Elongating the exhalations out the mouth for 8 counts.
Last round here together.
Letting go of the technique,
Breathing normally in and out through the nose.
Bringing your attention to any sounds around you.
Noticing your body in this moment without judgment.
Keeping the breath fluid.
Paying attention to how the mind feels in these last few moments of this practice.
Remembering that simply elongating the exhalation and breathing efficiently into the stomach can help reduce anxiety.
When you feel ready,
Open the eyes,
Come into the space.
I hope this meditation was helpful.
I look forward to practicing with you again.
Until next time.
