This is a short guided mindfulness exercise to relieve stress and anxiety that you can do anytime,
Anywhere.
It will leave you feeling more grounded,
Relaxed and alert to your present moment experience of your body and senses.
So to begin,
Allow yourself to settle and get comfortable.
You can be seated or you can lie down.
Take a few deep breaths,
Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly.
Allow yourself to let go of any stress you've been feeling.
Let go of any tension in your shoulders.
Release any tension in your jaw.
Relax and soften your jaw and the muscles in your face.
Allow your breath to find its own resting rhythm and simply bring your awareness to what it feels like to breathe right now.
Notice the physical sensations of breathing.
Wherever that physical sensation of breathing is the most vivid,
Place your awareness there.
You might feel it most in the rise and fall of your abdomen.
You may feel it most in your nostrils.
Wherever that sensation is the clearest,
Simply place your focus right there.
Experience the inhale.
Experience the exhale.
Experience in between.
And each time that you notice that the momentum of your mind has drawn your awareness away from the breath,
Gently,
Non-judgmentally place your attention back on the breath.
We call this breath awareness.
You might find it helpful to say within your mind,
Inhale each time you inhale and exhale each time you exhale.
By silently saying these words,
You draw your attention back to your breath.
Your mind will wander.
Simply notice when it does and with gentleness acknowledge that your mind has wandered and bring your awareness back to the physical sensation of breathing.
Observe each breath as though it's the first breath you've ever taken.
Place all of your attention on the breath and simply notice and feel what it feels like to be alive and breathing in this very moment.
Notice what it feels like to be aware as you compassionately tend to your breath.
Allow yourself to explore this moment.
To be curious about this moment.
To allow your breath to open up the doorway to this moment.
And you may even notice how the breath creates spaciousness in the mind.
With more spaciousness,
There comes more clarity.
As you prepare to come out of this meditation,
Notice how you feel in your body.
Take a moment to really feel this feeling of presence.
Take a moment to experience it,
To notice what it feels like in your body to be present and clear.
And offer yourself a little gratitude for taking the time to follow along.
And you may very well wish to carry this feeling of presence with you as you go out into your day.
May you be present.
May your mind be open.
May you be peaceful.
May you be gentle on yourself today.
Thank you.
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