Make sure you're as comfortable as possible and give your body full permission to rest on the surface beneath you.
Notice all the places of contact between your body and whatever material that's touching your skin or whatever surface is holding you up.
See if you can allow your body to soften and sink into that surface even more.
You can close your eyes if they're not already closed and shift your focus now to your body breathing.
If you'd like,
You can deepen your breath a little bit more or you can simply breathe at your own natural pace.
I will be speaking directly to your worried mind.
You can allow your mind to hear my words or you can imagine your own compassionate heart and wise mind speaking to your worries.
Worried mind,
I see you.
I understand you.
There are important and valid reasons why you feel the way you do.
I really appreciate you trying so hard to keep me safe,
To stay on the lookout for danger,
Always factoring in the hard things that have happened in the past,
Always on the lookout for what might happen in the future.
It's not your fault,
Worried mind.
You've been programmed and you're just running your automatic programs.
I know you're just trying to help.
The problem is that you're not actually helping.
What you are doing is creating stress inside of our system.
You are thinking about invisible scenarios that don't actually exist right now,
And you're making this body feel like these scary scenarios are actually happening,
When in fact,
Nothing is happening right now other than listening to a recording and breathing with a supportive surface beneath us.
We are safe right now.
If something actually happens that we need to deal with in the moment,
I'll take action.
But you chime in when nothing dangerous is actually happening.
It's true that hard things have happened in the past,
And I wish I could guarantee you that no hard things will happen in the future.
But what I can tell you is that the percentage of time that hard things have happened and will happen does not compare to how often you worry.
You worry when we're totally safe lying in a cozy bed.
You worry when we're going about our day and everything is really fine.
I know there are hard things happening in the world,
And that hard things are part of life.
But I also know that you have been working overtime,
And your efforts don't actually help.
All your worrying does is cause us to miss out on the actual,
Factual moments.
When you go off in invisible,
Unpleasant mind movies,
We miss out on the many moments when everything is actually okay.
I want to live in reality,
Not scary mind movies.
The more we live in the present moment,
The more prepared and centered we'll be when life's challenges arrive.
You try to deal with challenges before they even arrive,
And all that does is make more moments challenging.
I thank you for trying so hard,
Dear worried mind,
But you are totally overworking.
The truth is that nothing actually exists outside of this moment.
I know you're scared,
And it's not your fault that you worry.
The world is moving so fast,
And hard things have happened.
But if you can rest more,
And take a back seat,
While I,
Wisdom,
Awareness,
And compassion lead the way,
We will have so much more clarity and peace.
If you have authentic emotions to express,
I will welcome them with compassion.
But you spinning out on worries is not helping,
So I want you to rest now,
Worried mind.
I thank you for trying to help,
But you haven't actually been helping.
It's time for you to rest.
Let's bring our focus to the present moment,
What is actually,
Factually here.
This breath.
Now this breath.
This breath.
Now this breath.
The surface beneath us.
All the support of the surface beneath us.
Let's come home.
Let's spend more time in reality,
And less time in futuristic,
Scary mind movies.
You can rest now,
Worried mind.
And whenever you need,
I will soothe you again and again,
Like I would soothe a worried child.
