When you feel stressed or anxious it can be challenging to try and quiet your mind and sometimes trying to stop all the thoughts in your head can lead you to feel more frustrated.
I find it much more grounding not to worry about doing anything with the thoughts at all.
It's a lot more nourishing to rest your awareness on the relaxation of your body.
Our bodies can be a real resource,
A place of refuge for us and this will naturally quiet our minds.
Start by finding yourself a comfortable place to sit or lie down and then close your eyes.
Bring your awareness to the sensations and feelings of the breath within your body.
To the rising and falling of your ribs,
Lungs and abdomen with each in breath and each out breath.
And really be inquisitive of the feelings of the breath within your body.
At any point if you find yourself often thought,
Don't worry we're not trying to stop thoughts.
We're choosing rather to rest our awareness on the relaxation of our body.
If you notice you've drifted off in thought,
Just soften around it with a sense of compassion and gently bring your awareness back to the feelings and sensations of the breath within the body.
Thoughts will naturally arise,
Move through and dissolve by themselves.
Give them space to be as they are,
To go where they need to go.
Shift your awareness slightly to the out breath.
Follow each out breath down into your body,
Really allowing your body to relax deeper and deeper with each breath.
Take your awareness now to the ground of your being.
Become aware of the weight of your legs,
The sensations and feelings of the chair or cushion pushing up against you.
The feeling of it supporting you and as you do that with each out breath really allow your body to let go and melt into that sense of ground.
If you notice any unsettling feelings within your body,
Hold it gently with a sense of love,
Without judgment and give it space to be as it needs to be and then gently bring your awareness back to the breath,
Back into the sensations and feelings within your body,
Relaxing and melting down into that ground.
Allow everything to be as it is.
You can just allow yourself to really relax down into your body and into the ground.
Keep following each out breath,
Feeling your body really relax deeper and deeper each time.
Let everything else go.
As I leave you now,
Feel free to carry on as long as you need.
Remember to hold your experience with a sense of compassion,
Not to worry about any disturbances,
Just let them go and really allow yourself to deeply relax into your body,
Into the ground of your being,
One breath at a time.
