Breathing For Stress And Anxiety Relief

This audio track is for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of a busy life. Your guide will share a personal story of overcoming career-related stress and anxiety, and then lead you through a calming practice of breathing and body awareness. You will learn to observe your thoughts without judgment and connect with a sense of inner peace and presence.

This practice will help you to release pressure and find a moment of tranquility for self-discovery and healing.

Transcript

Hello,

Dear one,

And thank you for joining me today for our meditation practice.

So to start today,

I had something happen to me this morning that hasn't happened to me in a really,

Really long time.

As many of you know,

I had an entire big career focused identity for the last 22 years as a real estate entrepreneur and investor,

And we had seven companies across seven different states.

And I share this story in case you yourself are very career driven or as an entrepreneur,

Maybe you can relate.

With all that drive,

For me came a lot of pressure.

I was usually pretty good at staving it off,

But as time went on and pressures mounted,

I started to have a built-in 4 a.

M.

Alarm clock right in my head where my brain would just wake me right up and then start ruminating and spiraling with different thoughts.

And it would not just wake me up,

But it would put me in panic mode.

These thoughts would flood in like,

That deal is falling apart and you need to figure out how to save it.

Or,

Oh,

Geez,

You didn't get back to Joe.

He probably thinks you're an idiot.

Or will our new marketing push be successful?

Or are we just going to burn through six months of cash?

Have I done enough for my team to ensure we're in a good spot for the quarter end?

Or the big one,

Right?

Like,

What if these four things go bad all in a row?

How will I cover payroll?

How will I cover my mortgage?

How will I buy groceries next week?

You can see how my brain was doing what it was programmed to do,

Forecast for the future,

And run any scenario in order to try and keep me safe.

Same as it had since I was a child.

I was doing everything I thought I was supposed to do,

Scaling businesses and managing teams and building wealth.

But inside,

I felt like I was always behind,

Always on,

Never enough.

It took a toll,

Not just on my energy,

But on my peace,

My relationships,

And ultimately my body.

And it was only in the last five years when I went on my own journey of self-discovery did I start to ask myself the better questions.

Where is this pressure actually coming from?

What am I actually chasing?

That was the beginning of the shift of retraining my mind,

Of choosing to feel success from the inside before chasing it on the outside.

And it began with presence.

So with that in mind,

Since I had my little friend wake me up again this morning at 4 a.

M.

,

Which hasn't happened in a really,

Really long time,

I created this meditation for myself since once in a while,

I guess I still need it.

And if I need it,

Maybe one of you,

Dear listeners,

Could use it as well.

So now I have a tool to help calm it back down.

And with this tool,

With this meditation,

We can also start asking the right questions to bring us back into what really matters.

So whether you are an entrepreneur or a busy career-focused person,

Or just one of the many stressed-out individuals that is having trouble balancing all the pressures of life,

The production at work or the career,

Parenting of the kids,

Pouring into your loved ones or your spouse,

And still barely trying to find time to hit the gym for yourself,

This meditation is built for you.

So let's start on the journey right here like this.

Let's start with a deep breath in.

And then let it go.

And again,

Deeper this time.

And release.

Just let your body start to settle.

One more breath.

And then as you exhale,

Allow yourself to just arrive.

This is your time.

Let the world fade.

Let the to-dos and the big lists just go.

Let the expectations dissolve right here in this moment.

So arriving into our breath,

Let's make sure you're in a comfy position in your chair or lying down on your bed.

And now we're going to go into some relaxation.

Let your eyes start to grow heavy and allow them to soften and start to close down.

Relaxing into a deep state of rest.

Take a moment to now inhale slowly through your nose and let it release through your mouth.

Feel the air move through your body.

Feel the rise and fall of your chest,

The quiet rhythm of life already flowing within you.

Now bring awareness to your body.

Feel your feet either on the ground or supported by the mattress underneath you.

Notice the tension in your shoulders and allow them to just drop.

You're very relaxed now,

Softening,

Sinking into the cushions and supports beneath you that are holding you in space.

Now let your jaw start to soften.

Moving down,

Let your hands rest and let your breath lead.

With each inhale,

Invite in space and peace and relaxation.

And with each exhale,

Release pressure,

Stress,

Anxieties.

Nothing to fix in this place,

Nothing to figure out.

This is just presence.

Feel that now you are completely safe in this rich moment of presence that you have carved out just for you.

You're doing great.

And now that you're grounded in the space,

Let's gently start to bring to mind.

What's a moment of stress or frustration or anxiety that you have felt recently?

Maybe it was a decision,

A deadline,

A financial pressure,

Or possibly a situation.

Or a conversation that you might be avoiding with someone you care about.

Just take a moment and notice where this shows up in your body.

Is there a tightening,

A clenching,

Or is your mind wanting to start to grab onto it and start to race?

Examine now and just observe it.

Just observe it now from this time,

From above.

There's no judgment around it.

Be kind to yourself as you scan,

As you feel into this perhaps very familiar feeling.

That you might feel a lot.

And now as you notice your mind start to go through its familiar thought pattern,

Since you brought up this situation or this event,

Maybe you might observe your mind beginning to try and come up with scenarios or ruminating yet again.

It might be bringing up a sensation that you don't necessarily desire,

But this is part of this practice.

Know that you're safe here in this space just for you.

And we're doing this for the purpose of self-exploration,

Healing,

And expansion of who we are.

So if you see these thoughts start to try and run away as usual,

You're observing it.

Watch as your beautiful mind does what it's programmed to do to keep you safe.

It's been doing this since you were a child,

To keep you protected,

Accepted.

Send love to it.

Thank you,

Brain.

Thank you,

Mind,

For for bringing up what you need to bring up to show me about this moment,

About this stressful situation.

And I'm going to meet you with love because right now I'm aware I am not my thoughts.

You are not your thoughts and your thoughts do not control you.

It is in this moment you realize that you are the witness to your own thoughts.

You are the observer of the mind.

You are an observer of your emotions.

You're even an observer of your body.

And now that we remember that you are the witness,

Ask your mind in this moment to speak to you.

Let's go a little deeper here.

Let's ask of this situation for the benefit of healing.

What is the underlying story or belief or program that I'm telling myself about the situation that is triggering my mind to try and help keep me safe?

I'll repeat that because it's very important and this is awareness of the situation.

As the first step to true healing and to be changing into everything that we desire in our life in the situation,

What's the underlying story as the witness,

The underlying belief or the subconscious program that I am telling myself about the situation that makes me feel this negative emotion that is the trigger that's pushing my mind into coming up with all the hows and action items and to-dos and protection mechanisms.

While you think on that and feel into that for a moment,

I'll read you some examples of some stories that I've worked through,

That I continue to work through,

And that some of my clients are working through.

Some stories might be,

Do you need to push yourself and feel strain or pressure in order to justify your time?

Or justify your income?

Or perhaps,

Could you be living in fear where you feel that there just won't be enough and you feel that the result of this situation,

Whatever it might be,

Might push you further into that scarcity?

Could it be that you believe that in order to have more income or a more loving relationship or more success,

That it requires things to be hard with more pressure so that the outcome or the results can be worth it?

Or,

Do you feel that maybe you become your best self when stress is applied in your life?

That perhaps,

Without stress,

You won't rise to the occasion?

There's also another one where,

Depending on your childhood,

Is it possible that maybe you were put into so many stressful situations as a child?

That being in chaos,

Being under stress,

Is the norm for you now?

Perhaps,

You can't even remember a time when you did not have stress or pressure.

So,

Your brain or your nervous system wouldn't even know what it feels like to have a day without stress,

Pressure,

Or the chaos that comes in.

Your mind may be protecting you and ensuring you are always in a familiar feeling of just pressure.

The chaos that you know versus the calmness that you don't.

Perhaps,

Another story.

If we don't have stress or pressures,

Then what's our purpose in this life?

If any of these questions or beliefs resonated with you,

Just feel into them a little bit.

Feel into these stories,

And as they come up,

Honor them.

Are they 100% true?

And the answer is none of these stories are 100% true.

In fact,

We get to now create a new story based on the life that we now desire.

If none of these resonate,

Just take a moment.

Try and feel into what the underlying story or stories could be behind this pressure you're feeling with the situation.

I'll now give you a couple minutes to just feel into what resonates most for you.

Allow your mind to provide you,

Your subconscious to provide you with the underlying story that typically came from your childhood.

And just know that if nothing came,

That's perfectly fine.

You are doing great work.

As you are now becoming more aware of the story behind the situation,

The source behind this pressure or stress in your life,

As you're listening to what the situation is really asking of you,

Here are a few things to ponder.

Nature shows us all we need to know about ourselves and our life.

On a very deep level,

Know and feel that the universe will always ensure your basic needs are handled.

You will always have a roof over your head.

You will always have food on the table,

And your loved ones will always be kept safe.

Believe and feel you don't need to do or prove yourself worthy of any of these things.

They just are.

As the earth has provided for all living things for over 4 billion years.

Now,

Really feeling that security,

That stability,

And that groundedness.

If you were ensured,

In this entire life,

That all your basic needs were handled,

And that your loved ones would always be kept safe,

What would it be like to live without that stress or pressure in your life?

What if you didn't need pressure to perform?

What if you didn't have to prove anything to anyone else or to yourself?

What if you didn't have to live in a state of stress just to earn your living or to earn rest for yourself?

And what if rest was a natural state of being and not something that you had to earn?

And if you're one of the ones who've only known stressful situations in your entire life,

Can you feel the deep healing,

That even just a little bit of time of releasing this pressure,

This stress,

The immense amount of healing this can bring into your body just by having a few minutes of presence,

Of pure self-love?

You're giving yourself that gift right now,

And you're doing so well.

If you didn't have any pressure or stress in your life,

What would that feel like?

Peace,

Joy,

And love.

These three emotions,

These three feelings are our natural state of being.

From the moment we're born,

We are born perfect,

Pure,

Peaceful,

Joyous,

And loving.

These three are from which everything else are created.

Now,

Take a breath in,

And really feel into this next question.

What if my success in all aspects of my life was based from peace and not pressure?

Now,

I want you to visualize your future self three years from now.

You're waking up to a new day.

You start to stretch as you see the sun rising through your large glass open patio door.

In this moment,

You have learned to lead with presence.

There's a calmness about you.

People are attracted to the new way that you've grown in your career and in your relationships.

There's just a presence,

A feeling people get when they are around you.

They want that richness.

You've not just built your dream business or career,

But you've now designed it around a life that feels full and rich with experience.

You now attract instead of chase.

While situations still arise that require your attention,

You are no longer rushing from fire to fire.

When what used to be stressful situations rise,

You're no longer feeling that fear or anxiety in your body.

That you used to feel that would make you freeze.

Instead,

You are able to call upon your strong mind that is now led by your heart.

And you know it is there to move you through the situation in the best way possible.

Knowing that the outcomes from every situation is all for your highest and best good,

For your soul's expansion journey.

You're intentional,

Calm,

Focused,

Grateful.

And here's the truth.

This version of you three years from now is available to embody right now.

In this moment.

Through the choice to pause,

To breathe,

And to become.

So say to yourself quietly or in your mind now,

I am exactly where I should be on my path.

Any decision I make is always the right one when it's based in good intentions.

I will always have what I need in the moments I need it,

Even when my mind doesn't know how.

I thank my mind for doing what it does to keep me safe.

But I am not my thoughts.

I am just the witness to them.

I now choose to live my life from my heart.

I am a divine creator.

And I get to choose my new thoughts and a new story in each moment.

Every situation I used to think was stressful,

I now know is an opening for me.

It's moving me to a higher version of who I am becoming.

It's allowing me to explore myself and to move towards my natural state of being.

I am peace.

I am joy.

And I am love.

Excellent work.

Now,

Leading from the heart and not from the mind,

We can call back your situation into focus.

Let's take this moment,

Drop any sort of meanings or judgment or negative feelings or rumination that your mind has put on it just for now.

What does that future and now present higher self want for you out of the situation?

What's the lesson here for you in this moment?

And with this situation still in mind,

Dropping any attachment to the outcome itself,

Knowing that whatever the outcome,

It will be perfect for you,

Regardless of what happens.

What is your heart now calling for you to do as a next step in addressing the situation?

Is it an action,

A communication,

Or a possible letting go that your higher self is calling for you to take?

Or perhaps you're being called to just sit with it for now with no action and continue to feel and explore what's here for you.

I'll give you a moment to really feel into this practice and this exercise.

Where's the growth for you here,

Where now you've already embodied your three-year future self,

Your higher self,

And you both becoming one in this moment.

What's the higher lesson for your soul,

For yourself with this situation,

With this practice,

With this exercise?

Beautiful work,

Loved one.

This moment is the practice.

This breath and every breath is your shift.

Now,

Only if you're ready,

We're going to begin to come back into our body.

But if you have the time or the desire,

My beautiful soul,

You stay just as you are for as long as you need in this deep state of relaxation.

For those who are ready,

Taking our time,

Begin to bring your awareness back into your body.

We start with little energetic shifts,

Wiggling our fingers,

Our toes,

Rolling our wrists or our ankles,

Rolling our shoulders,

And bringing our attention back to our lovely tool that we have with us 24 hours every single day.

We take our couple last cleansing breaths.

Take a deep breath in,

All the way in,

And release.

Audible exhale,

Audible exhale.

We'll take one more final breath in,

And out.

Starting to flutter your eyes open,

Adjusting to the light around you,

Feeling the presence and sensations,

Feeling completely relaxed,

Calm,

Present,

And super connected to your higher self in this moment.

And as you return,

Honor the time that you've given to yourself today.

Whether your mind allowed you to come up with the underlying beliefs,

Or allowed you to meet your future self,

Or not.

Whether you think you dropped in or did well in this practice or not,

None of that even matters.

We observe those thoughts.

The fact is,

You showed up.

That's 98% of it.

You honored this commitment of self-love that you made to yourself for these 35 minutes.

Remembering that awareness is the first step.

Realizing that you are the witness to your own thoughts,

And you're not inside of them.

This is beautiful soul work that you're already doing,

Even if your beautiful mind doesn't understand how.

That's the beauty of this work.

So for now,

To move into your day,

Carry these things with you.

You do not need to grind to grow or for success.

Stressful situations are only here for us to explore more about ourselves.

As opportunities for us to listen to our higher selves,

To feel into why we operate in the way we do,

And expand who we are as a result.

Even the word stress,

It's just a meaning that we put behind it,

To explain how our mind might run scenarios and run away with it to protect us and keep us safe.

So honor it.

When you feel that anxiety or stress creep in,

Remember that you can just take that deep breath,

Put your hand on your heart,

And feel into what is the story here,

And what is the new desired story that I choose to live by,

To release myself into a life full of joy,

Peace,

And love.

You are enough right here,

Without stress,

Pressure,

Or having to do anything to justify your existence or your success.

Today,

Choose presence over pressure.

Schedule the moment of self-care or say no to something that doesn't align with your new life.

And if you forget,

Just breathe and begin again.

Thank you for joining me today in this practice.

So appreciate you leaning in and doing this important work.

Come back to this practice anytime you have a stressful situation,

Or your mind is running away with something.

And I welcome any comments or feedback,

So don't hesitate to drop me a line.

And I'll see you in the next practice.

Much love.

Namaste.