My name is Rafael and this meditation is designed for healthcare workers to practice prior to their shift.
Our aim is to gather our energy and find our inner stability before interacting with patients.
To begin,
Find a comfortable seat on the floor or in a chair.
Do your best to maintain a tall spine,
Shoulder blades together,
As we practice gathering our energy.
Now bring attention to the breath,
Natural rhythm,
In and out through the nose,
Grounding into the moment,
Realizing how we are walking with our energy at this moment.
And in this space of silence,
Without judgment,
Ask yourself,
What is my mood right now from one to ten?
One being not so good,
Ten,
I'm a rock star.
Ask yourself,
How is my mood at this moment without judgment?
It is really important that we become aware of the energy we are holding onto before we start interacting with patients.
Now that you've taken mental note of your mood,
Big inhalation in through the nose,
Filling up the lungs,
Filling up the belly,
Exhale,
S-H,
As if you're telling someone to be quiet,
In this case,
Your mind.
Again,
Inhaling in through the nose,
Filling up the lungs,
Filling up the belly,
Exhale S-H.
One more time here together,
In through the nose,
Slow and steady,
Exhale through the mouth,
S-H,
Elongate the exhalation,
Good.
Now moving the shoulders up and back,
Releasing any knots or tension stored in the body,
Rolling the shoulders,
Switching directions,
And now try to soften the shoulders,
Relaxing the collarbone,
Finding stillness.
If you're feeling nervous or annoyed before your shift,
Honor that feeling.
We can't change our mood if we are not aware of it.
Meditation is the practice of recognizing our state of mind,
Recognizing the moment,
And then using the breath to ground you further and shift your energy in the direction that it needs to go in.
Now we'll practice a simple technique to focus our attention on the breath,
On the moment.
So practice inhale in through the nose,
Exhale out through the nose.
Inhale in through the nose,
Now exhale out through the mouth,
Deepening the breath with every inhalation and exhalation.
So again,
Inhaling in through the nose,
Out through the nose.
In through the nose,
Out through the mouth.
One more time here together,
In through the nose,
Out through the nose.
In through the nose,
Out through the mouth.
Take a few more rounds at your own pace,
Inhaling in through the nose,
Exhaling out through the nose.
Inhaling in through the nose,
Exhaling out through the mouth.
One more round at your own pace,
Observing the breath.
Good,
Release the technique,
Breathe normally in and out through the nose.
Now I want you to picture in your mind your shift today in front of you.
If your shift could go the right way,
How would it look in your mind?
Picture yourself moving through the motions,
Helping patients,
In the flow,
In a good mood.
See the next 8 or 12 hours of your shift on the screen of your mind with positive rational hopefulness,
Meaning seeing it in the most positive way,
In the most rational way,
And seeing it with hopefulness instead of negativity.
See yourself calm,
Grounded,
Performing under any pressures that may be exerted upon you.
Understanding the situation,
Confident.
Picture it in your mind and then it will appear in your life.
Shift the energy,
View with positive rational hopefulness.
Letting the technique go,
Resting in the breath.
Here are a few affirmations to remind yourself so you can have a smooth shift.
Number one,
If I have a difficult patient today,
I will breathe.
I will respond and not react to my environment.
My patient's energy does not have to become my own.
Just because someone else is having a bad day doesn't mean I need to also.
Number two,
I will do my best.
I will do my best to help patients,
But I will take care of myself in the process.
I will go slow and I will be mindful of my energy level,
Taking time to myself when the situation allows.
Number three,
I will lift those around me with my teamwork and personality,
Remembering that I have the power to help my patients and coworkers,
Even if it's just with a smile or a helping hand.
Now bring your attention back to the deep breath for a few more moments.
In through the nose and out through the mouth.
Sit with your mind,
Sit with your energy,
Soft in the breath.
When your fears arise or difficult thoughts float through the mind,
Observe the thought and breathe by elongating the exhalations.
Not giving attention towards any negativity.
Not denying it,
Not suppressing any fears,
Anxieties,
Anything that comes up about your shift,
But focusing back on the present moment.
Relax the shoulders,
Let go of the jaw tension,
Let the tongue hang heavy away from the roof of the mouth.
See if you can relax using your breath as the guide.
If you feel charmed,
Cracking a little smile,
Telling yourself today will be a good day and if it's not,
I will make the most of it.
And letting go of the breath,
Becoming aware of any sounds around you.
And when you feel ready,
Opening your eyes,
Coming into the space slowly.
Being aware of whatever thoughts arise in the next few moments as you leave your practice and go on with your day.
I hope you enjoyed this practice.
I look forward to sitting with you again.
Have a great shift.
Until next time.
