Hello and welcome to this short eight minute meditation to stop the spiral.
This practice is designed to take you out of the loop of any negative emotion you're feeling,
Whether that is anxiety,
Stress,
Doom scrolling,
Overworking,
Or whenever you're finding difficulty in pausing to shift your state.
Just by playing this meditation,
You're already taking the steps towards that shift.
Begin this practice lying down if you can,
On the ground,
Your couch,
Or your bed.
If that's not possible right now,
Seated position is perfectly fine.
As you find yourself in this position,
It's okay if you're a little fidgety or squirmy.
You don't have to be completely still.
Take any movement you need and just use this moment to acknowledge all that is on your mind right now.
Oftentimes it helps to close the eyes or soften the gaze to just begin to take your world more internal.
As you become aware of all of the thoughts racing through your mind,
Imagine multiple doors around the thoughts in your mind.
Collect any thoughts that keep you stuck in the past and send them through one door,
Then close that door.
Collect any thoughts of worry for the future,
Send them through another door,
Then close that door.
Continue to clear your thoughts,
Sending them on their way through multiple doors,
Until you're left empty or at least decluttered.
You can sort them by category,
Maybe family,
Work,
To-dos,
Or tasks.
Just organize them by sending them through different doors,
Knowing they will be there for you later.
Declutter the mind.
Connect with your breath.
Now with a clearer mind,
Acknowledge what is true in this present moment,
In time and space,
Here and now.
We'll begin with a tense and release practice in the body to remind us how to feel the here and now.
On your inhale,
I'll cue you to tense a certain part of your body,
Then on the exhale,
I'll cue you to release and relax that part of your body.
Beginning at the feet,
Take a deep inhale and curl your toes,
Clench your feet,
Squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
Then exhale,
Soften and relax the feet,
Then the toes.
Allow any tense or stressful energy to dissipate.
As you release,
Now inhale and squeeze both of your legs together.
Clench the calves,
Tighten the knees,
Squeeze the thighs and the glutes.
Your low back might lift off of the ground,
Inhaling the breath and clenching as tight as you can.
Then exhale of relief,
Surrender the legs and lower body towards the earth,
Releasing any wound up energy that was there,
Letting it evaporate fully from your body.
Next,
Inhale and squeeze the arms into your ribs,
Clench the core,
Tighten the ribs,
Round the chest in by squeezing your shoulders forward.
Hold as long as you can and tighten your torso and arms.
Then exhale,
Soften the arms,
Soften the belly.
Surrender any gripping or control.
Your body is safe here.
Now,
Inhale and clench the hands into fists.
Tuck the fingers in and clench the face.
Squeeze the eyebrows,
Nose and lips.
Inhale,
Hold and clench as if you're a toddler throwing a tantrum.
Then exhale and release.
Unravel the fingers,
Loosen the muscles up,
And release.
Now,
Open down your face.
Become aware of your natural rhythm of breath,
Breathing in and out the nose.
Feel the ease of your breath soften your body further and further,
Drawing you deeper into the here and now,
This exact present moment.
In this exact moment,
Check in with each of your senses.
What do you see right now behind your eyelids?
What sounds can you hear nearby?
What sounds can you hear far away?
What scents or aromas are you picking up?
What taste lingers on the surface of your tongue?
What do you feel on your skin?
Maybe it's the clothes you're wearing or the support beneath your body.
What else do you see?
What do you sense beyond your five physical senses?
Is there energy you can feel surrounding you or an intuitive emotion?
Preserving this state of presence and truth right here and now.
Inhale the oxygen that is present deep into your belly.
Exhale the air out into the moment.
Deepen your next few breaths,
Becoming present and immersed in the air that exists around you right at this moment.
Thank you for joining me.
I'm so proud that you completed this practice fully and honored yourself enough to commit to shifting your state.
May you continue your day with clarity and groundedness.
Return to this practice anytime you need to cultivate presence and stop the spiral.
