Good morning my friend,
Today is a new day and it can be a really good day for you.
And the first thing I want to say is if you have woken with morning anxiety,
I want you to know that morning anxiety often arrives before anything else comes online.
There's a spike in cortisol.
There's a feeling of a stress response.
It isn't something that's telling you things are going wrong.
Nothing is wrong.
Everything's OK and everything will be OK.
And as we know that the anxiety is in your body and it's really arrived before the day has even begun or before your whole thinking mind is fully online,
We don't have to believe our body when it says something awful is happening.
It is literally sensations in your body and we're going to look after those sensations before we do anything else.
But be hopeful my friend,
The more you practice this the better your mornings will be.
You're showing your body a different way.
So before you reach for your phone or to your thoughts about your day ahead,
Let's just take a few slow belly breaths.
You can sit up a little in your bed,
If you're still in bed,
Or wherever you are,
Sit so your spine's a little longer and your chest is a little more open.
So your ribs are a little wider.
And your shoulders.
Falling away from your ears,
Lift your chin a little.
That's just a way of saying to your body I'm open to the day no matter how hard your heart is beating or how tense your muscles may feel.
And then you can take one hand to your belly and one to your heart.
Or just think about your belly.
And take a few slow soft belly breaths if that feels possible for you.
Or just slow your breath down a little.
Softening your skin.
Thinking of your belly as a balloon that inflates with your in-breath and just deflates like a tide balloon with its outbreath.
And feel what is connected to the floor,
The ground.
So it may be that you're on a support,
A new support,
Your chair,
Your bed are connected to the ground,
But then so are you.
What parts of your body are connected to that support.
Your sitting bones.
Your spine.
Maybe even your head and neck.
Really notice that connection.
Don't be concerned if your mind continues to be putting any alarm in your head or wanting to distract you,
There aren't any distractions,
There's just you here.
Softening and slowing your breath in your belly.
Feeling where you're connected to support.
And then can you slowly look around your room or the space you're in?
And as you slowly look around can you see three things which are a round shape?
And name them out loud.
And then can you see three things which are a shade of green or blue?
And identify those out loud.
And now can you see three things that sparkle or shine where you are?
And name them.
Can you remember now something that's recently happened that made you smile?
It could just be something silly you saw on television or something really good,
A piece of good news that made you smile.
And as you remember that smile.
And that feeling,
Can you soften your face?
And let another smile come on your lips if it feels natural or just soften your space remembering there are things that made you smile and there'll be things today that make you smile.
And then can you take one hand to your heart and say to yourself.
I'm here.
I'm here.
Everything's okay.
Softening your shoulders softening your skin and your face Letting your belly drop,
Just feeling breath dropping down,
Falling into your belly You're giving your nervous system a gentle landing before you start your day A hand on your heart.
A smile.
A few slow soft belly breaths.
And noticing some things that are in the space where you are right now So you're helping your body realise that today is here,
It isn't yesterday,
This moment is yours,
It isn't anyone else's.
And before your mind begins to try and solve the day,
You're just letting your body arrive.
Slowing your breathing a little,
Feeling yourself grounded.
So you might even now feel your feet on the floor and if you've been in bed you might swing your legs over now and I suggest really digging your feet into the floor Like maybe when you're feeling the earth under your feet as if you could feel the earth under the floor.
And it feels good to have feet on the ground.
And really let your attention rest in your feet on the ground.
And now.
I'm going to give you three things,
Three good things.
To bring into your mind.
And really be with.
And the first is someone or something that you're proud of.
As if that person Well that situation was walking through the door right now and you're feeling that pride And now.
A memory that always makes you happy.
Just remembering a good thing.
Good thing that's happened to you.
A good thing that brings back perhaps the memory of when you first met your best friend or got your pet or discovered a place that you love.
That kind of memory that has brought something really good into your life.
When did that thing begin that's really good in your life?
And then the third thing is something you're looking forward to.
Just something you're looking forward to.
It could be as simple as your morning cup of coffee or a walk or a show that you're going to watch later.
Let these come into your heart and into your body and just to let these land and to close this practice we're actually going to add,
I invite you to join me in this,
Some movement.
We're simply going to breathe in and stretch our arms up.
Pause at the top,
Really enjoy the stretch,
Breathe out.
Slowly bring your arms back down to your sides or to your heart.
Hands to heart again.
And we're going to do that with these three things.
So the first time you reach up it's towards that someone or something you're proud of as if you're reaching up towards that breath and hands.
Keep that lift in your heart as you bring your arms down.
Second breath,
That memory of something that's good in your life.
Stretching up towards it,
Then bring it all the way back down towards you,
Towards your heart.
And the third thing is that thing you're looking forward to.
Breathe in,
Stretch up.
Towards it,
Really reach it.
And then bring it all the way down with your out breath and back towards you to your own heart and body.
These things belong to you,
They've refreshed your energy,
You're grounded,
You're safe,
You're here.
This is a good start for you my friend.
Just check in now to your body where it just feels a little better.
And the next thing is to move forward with your day positively.
So do something nice to start your day,
Whether it's splashing water on your face and feeling your face refresh,
Whether it's some more stretches,
Whether it's taking in some daylight outside,
Hanging the washing on the line,
Ticking off a very small task,
Or making yourself that lovely morning drink or breakfast.
Texting a friend cheerfully.
Do a lovely good thing for yourself.
So your body starts to think of mornings as a reset and an opportunity to add some goodness to your life.
And over time that will settle in and this will really shift the way you feel when you first wake up.
Because our body remembers what it practices.
And what you feel is what you've been practicing feeling.
So we're practicing just feeling some different things.
Hope this helps you.
And I look forward to being with you again.
Have a great day.
