Before Or During A Stressful Test Such As An MRI

I suggest you enable "repeat mode" by tapping the circular arrows icon on the player screen to keep this track repeating during your stressful test or experience. This meditation is designed to calm your mind, relax your body, and guide you into a state of deep peace and presence during a stressful experience. Through mindful breathing and gentle awareness, you'll be guided to release tension, reduce stress, improve emotional balance, and cultivate a greater sense of inner calm to help get you through your experience.

Before practicing any physical or breathing exercise, please consult your physician if you have any medical concerns or conditions. This is a gentle meditation practice for relaxation, not therapy, and not medical advice.

If you need emotional, mental, or relationship support, please consult your therapist or mental health professional.

This meditation was inspired by my mom’s suggestion to create it for many people who may need it.

Thank you so much for listening!

Transcript

Close your eyes if that feels comfortable or soften your gaze. Begin by taking a slow steady breath through your nose and gently exhale through your mouth. Breathe in calm, Breathe out tension. Allow your body to settle exactly as it is. You do not need to force relaxation. You only need to allow yourself to be supported moment by moment. Feel the surface beneath you holding you as a safe container. You are safe. You are being cared for. This experience is temporary. Now relax your forehead, Relax your jaw, Relax your neck and your shoulders. Let your arms grow heavy. Relax your chest, Relax your stomach. Soften your hips, Soften your legs, Relax your feet. As your body relaxes, Prepare yourself mentally for the sounds you may hear. Any noises are not a sign of danger. They are not an emergency. They are simply the sounds of a machine doing its work to take care of you. You may hear different noises, Maybe knocking or clanging or some pounding or some rhythmic bursts that resemble loud sounds. Before each sound arrives and as it happens, Just remind yourself these are expected sounds. They cannot hurt me. My nervous system may react but I am still safe. Imagine the sounds transforming in your mind. Perhaps each bang becomes the sound of a train moving steadily down tracks or even distant drums in a song or waves crashing rhythmically against the rocks on a beach. Instead of resisting the sounds, Allow them to pass through the edges of your awareness like weather passing through the sky. You do not need to brace yourself against every noise. You do not need to tense your body each time a sound begins. When a loud sequence starts, Just picture yourself becoming like a calm mountain. The sounds may echo around you but you remain steady beneath them. As the banging continues or whatever sounds come your way, Just return to your breath. Your breath is always consistently there for you. Inhale slowly and exhale gently. Inhale slowly and exhale gently. You may even synchronize your breathing to the rhythm of the machine, Allowing the sounds to become predictable instead of startling. If your mind begins anticipating any next loud noise, Just gently say to yourself, I can hear this without fearing it. My body can stay soft even when the sounds are loud. This sound is temporary. Each sequence brings me closer to being finished. Imagine yourself floating peacefully above the sounds, Untouched by them. The noises may come and go but your calm remains underneath. And with every passing minute you are moving closer to completion, Closer to relief, Closer to the moment you sit up and realize you made it through. Continue breathing slowly, Allowing the sounds to come and go while you remain grounded, Safe, And steady. As the meditation comes to a close, Remember that you can continue supporting yourself through every remaining moment of this time. You do not need to stay perfectly calm. You do not need to eliminate every anxious thought or feeling. You only need to keep returning back to your anchor, Back to your breath, Back to your body, Back to your steady inner voice. Whenever the sounds become intense or your mind begins to spiral, Return to this simple practice in your mind. Tell yourself to take a slow inhale and a slow exhale and quietly repeat to yourself the reassurance, I am safe. The sound is temporary. I can be uncomfortable and still be okay. One breath, One sound, One moment at a time. Allow the words to become rhythmic and repetitive, Almost like a gentle song in your mind. With every loud sequence, Relax your shoulders, Unclench your jaw, Exhale slowly, Soften your body, Steady your breath, Calm your mind. Each time you repeat this practice of a calm inhale and a gentle exhale as your anchor, Imagine your nervous system settling just a little bit more. The machine may continue making noises but you are no longer fighting it. You are allowing it to pass around you while you remain grounded within yourself. And if any fear or discomfort rises again, Simply begin again. Breathing in, Breathing out, And repeating to yourself, Keeping a soft body, A steady breath, And that you are safe. You are capable of getting through this moment by moment, Breath by breath, Sound by sound.