Welcome.
This meditation is for those of us who feel trapped in a state of fight,
Flight,
Freeze or fawn,
Where our body's survival instincts kick in and don't seem to know when to shut off.
This isn't a meditation to resolve everything right now.
This is about recognizing those feelings and working with them,
One step at a time.
Let's begin.
Take a position that you find comfortable,
Whether you're lying down,
Sitting or standing.
First,
Let's focus on the breath,
Because the breath can help regulate our nervous system.
Inhale deeply,
Letting your belly expand,
And then exhale fully.
As you breathe,
Don't worry about how long each breath takes or how perfectly you're doing it.
Just notice the gentle rise and fall of your belly as you continue this breathing pattern.
Your body might be feeling like it's on high alert,
Ready to run or fight,
But here's what's important to remember.
You are safe in this moment.
Your mind and body may not be in sync,
But they're both doing their best to protect you.
You are breathing.
You are here,
And you will find your way through this.
It can be overwhelming.
The rush of adrenaline,
The tension in your muscles,
The racing thoughts,
They can feel like too much to handle.
Maybe you know exactly why this is happening,
Or maybe it seems to come out of nowhere.
Either way,
Your job right now is not to fix everything,
But to acknowledge where you are and allow yourself some space.
Continue focusing on your breath,
Slow,
Steady,
And deep.
The idea of fight or flight has evolved to fight,
Flight,
Freeze,
And fawn.
But they're all basically responses to stress.
Maybe your stressful event or events were long ago.
Maybe they were recent.
Maybe you're still dealing with them.
Or maybe you don't even know for sure what has sent you into this fight,
Flight,
Freeze,
Or fawn response.
And not knowing can be stressful in and of itself.
So our bodies may enter fight mode,
Tensing up,
Full of anger or sadness,
Preparing as if for battle.
Or they may enter flight mode,
Filling with the surge of adrenaline and the feeling that we need to move to escape.
Perhaps your body has decided fight or flight aren't options,
And makes you feel stuck like you can't move.
Or maybe your body has decided it can't fight,
Flight,
Or freeze successfully,
And you fawn.
You try maybe too hard to please other people,
And perhaps lose yourself in the process.
I wonder if one or more of these resonates with you right in this moment.
We're going to pause for 20 seconds without me talking.
During that time,
You may wish to clear your mind and only focus on the breath,
As we often do in meditation.
If your mind goes to the source of your stress or trauma,
That's okay.
You can give yourself permission to sit with those feelings.
You don't have to fight,
Flight,
Freeze,
Or fawn right now.
But if you think that might be a little too much,
You don't have to do it right now.
Just stay with the breath.
Don't engage with the trauma or the stress any more than you want to right now.
Your 20 seconds of reflection begins now.
Good job.
You've allowed yourself to sit with your breath and be present,
Or you've sat with those emotions for a moment without pushing them away.
Either way,
That may have been quite hard to do.
Now let's think about something that could bring you back to a place of calm.
Maybe it's a person who makes you feel safe,
An activity that relaxes you,
Or a place where you feel at peace.
If you can't think of anything immediately,
That's okay.
Just imagine what calmness might feel like,
Even for a second,
And how you could carry that with you through the rest of the day or the night.
Let's take another 20 seconds to focus on that,
Something or someone that you associate with calm.
Well done.
Don't forget how resilient you are.
Your body and your mind have probably been through a lot,
But you've made it through.
Whether it's a breath,
A break,
Or simply continuing on,
You have the tools to navigate this.
Healing happens,
Even if it's slow.
There's always a way forward.
As we come to the end of today's practice,
Let's take a final deep breath together.
Inhale,
Letting your belly rise.
Exhale,
Letting the tension leave with your breath.
You've faced the stress and acknowledged it,
And while it may still be there,
You've made space to carry on.
As you end this meditation,
Remember,
All you need to do is take the next step forward with whatever strength you have today.
