Welcome to the Anxiety Armory.
My name is Marie and in this practice I'm going to guide you into a technique that will rapidly calm your nervous system,
It's going to trigger the relaxation response,
And it's a great tool that's going to help you combat symptoms of anxiety.
So wherever you are,
Just let yourself be here now.
Just let yourself land in the moment,
Feeling your feet,
Maybe even wiggling your toes for a moment.
Just feel your feet on whatever surface they touch.
Feel your seat below you,
Whether you're sitting down or laying down.
Just feel the touch of your seat at the base of your spine.
And then come to focus on the breath.
Taking in a long,
Slow,
Steady inhale.
Let your body expand as you breathe in.
And just breathing out through the mouth,
A nice,
Calming,
Releasing breath.
Let yourself breathe in a little bit deeper than you normally would,
Feeling that expansion within your physical body.
And as you breathe out,
Begin to soften any tension through your face,
Your shoulders,
Your stomach,
And your hands.
Let's begin to count the breath.
We're going to breathe in for the count of four,
And breathe out for the count of six.
Let me guide you through a few rounds,
And then we'll let you take this practice at your own pace.
So just take a nice cleansing breath in to prepare,
And calmly exhale all the old air out.
Inhaling for the count of one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhaling,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Inhaling,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhaling,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Keep going,
Quietly counting to yourself in your own mind.
Breathing in for four,
And breathing out for six.
This is going to trigger the body's relaxation response.
This is going to calm your nervous system,
Reducing stress hormones within the body,
And rapidly reducing the effect that anxiety has.
Let me reassure you that in this space,
You are safe.
Let your body breathe,
And continue to soften on the exhale,
Anywhere that you're gripping,
Anywhere that feels tight.
And again,
Just come back to that awareness of the ground,
Or the surface below your feet,
And your seat.
Keep returning your awareness to the sensations of your body as you breathe in,
And out.
Feeling that expansion,
And that contraction.
Just let these calming breaths ebb and flow.
Feeling the rise and the fall of your chest,
And your abdomen,
As you breathe.
Now if you need to shorten or lengthen the count,
Please do.
But just be assured that at any time,
As long as you're breathing out,
For longer than you're breathing in,
You're going to calm your nervous system.
And as you exhale,
Perhaps just affirming to yourself in your own mind,
All is well here.
I am safe.
All is well here.
I am safe.
Allow yourself to just let go of the count at any time,
Continuing to focus on your breath.
Take a second to notice how you feel now.
Well done,
Well-being warrior.
I invite you to take this rapid relief breath practice into your daily life.
Use it as a tool,
And know that you can practice it anytime,
Anywhere.
Even in your daily waking life.
Take it with you.
Use the breath.
It is your number one tool to combat symptoms of anxiety.
Thank you for choosing to meditate with me.
I hope you'll be gentle on yourself as you move throughout the rest of your day.
