Hello,
Adam here.
Today's meditation is for when you are feeling overwhelmed and or triggered by stress,
Other people,
Or maybe something from your past that is preventing you from moving on with your day.
This meditation is not meant as a substitute for therapy,
But can be utilized as a tool to complement your therapy work.
We'll start by checking in with how our breathing is going,
Followed by utilizing the senses to orient ourselves to the current surroundings.
If it feels okay with you,
Please start by just breathing in and out.
In and out.
See if you can slow your breathing down just a bit to a nice,
Calm,
Steady rhythm.
Whatever breath anchors you to the present,
See if you can't engage with that now.
Some find it helpful to focus on where they feel the breath enter their nose or mouth on the inhale,
And then how the breath feels at that same spot on the exhale.
While you continue to breathe,
We'll first engage with your sense of sight.
If you had your eyes closed,
Open them up and take in the setting around you.
If you can,
Please name,
Either aloud or silently,
Five things you can see nearby.
Don't think about it too hard,
Just the first five things.
Good.
Now that you've named them,
Really notice them.
Allow your sense of sight to take them in fully and notice them nearby.
Spend a few moments with your five objects while you continue to breathe.
Next,
I'll ask you to engage your sense of touch.
Our job here is to name four things that are close enough for you to touch.
Keep in mind that clothes on your body also count.
Any four things in your vicinity that you can touch.
Take time to notice what the sensation is like here.
Is it rough,
Smooth,
Warm,
Cool?
See if you can pay attention to the impact this sensation can have.
The third task is three things you can hear.
Anything at all.
In the room where you are,
Outside the room,
Close to where you are,
Or in the room with you.
If you are far away from where you are,
Anything works.
Just see if you can hone your attention down to these three things,
One at a time.
Keep breathing and then notice two things you can smell.
This can be a fragrance you might notice on yourself as well as something outside of your person.
Our job isn't to evaluate good or bad,
But just the things that are near you right now.
Not really smelling anything in the moment?
Feel free to find a fragrance that you can smell.
If you are not,
Feel free to use the same fragrance that you find soothing and engage with that experience.
Finally,
Our last step is one thing you can taste.
Maybe this is the last thing that you ate or something else.
If you taste nothing right now,
Then just identify that.
Or this might be a chance to pop in a mint,
A small candy,
Or produce something for you to focus upon.
It's up to you.
Good.
Now that you've gone through all five steps,
Feel free to return to any of them you found most impactful.
Or just run the steps again,
One after another.
Whenever you feel fully grounded in the present,
Check in with your body and mind and see how things are going.
You'll know when you're ready to continue with your day.
Keep breathing and be well.
