Reduce Stress: Four Awareness Practice (Without Intro)

Often when we experience stress or anxiety, it feels like one overwhelming experience. This guided meditation helps to bring awareness to four interconnected dimensions of your stress response: what is happening in your body, your emotions, your thoughts, and your behaviors. It introduces cues of safety to help regulate the nervous system for each of these four dimensions, thus helping to calm the body, soothe emotions, loosen the grip of unhelpful thoughts, and choose behaviors that align with how you want to respond going forward.
This meditation pairs well with the worksheet "Stress Management: Stress Awareness with the Stress Thermometer" found here at Insight Timer.
Note: There is a slightly longer version of this meditation that includes an introduction. This version omits the introduction.
Disclaimer: This meditation is purely for educational purposes and is not intended as psychological intervention or treatment of any kind.
Music by Mikhail Vereitinov from Pixabay

Transcript

Begin by bringing your attention into your body and notice all the places where your body is making contact with the chair or surface you're sitting upon. Notice sensations along your back. Is there firmness, Softness, Gentle pressure? Something else. Maybe you're just aware of the space around your back if you're sitting without something behind you. Notice your spine feeling upright and supported. Notice sensations at the contact point underneath you. At your sitz bones. Take a moment to feel sensations at the soles of your feet as they rest on the ground. On the Earth. Sense the solid, Stable floor underneath you. As you scan through your body. Be aware of any places of tension or constriction. If it feels okay to do so. Gently place one hand on any area. That feels tightness. You might place your other hand on your belly. Or your heart. Or wherever feels supportive for you. Imagine that with each inhalation you could breathe in healing energy. Soothing energy. And with each breath out, You could send that healing energy through your hands into your body. Feel the natural expansion with each inhalation. Feel the natural letting go and softening of tension. On each exhalation. Find a comfortable rhythm of breath for you. Whatever feels supportive in your body in this moment. If you're feeling high stress or anxiety, You might experiment with slowing down your exhalations. Breathing in gently, Naturally through your nose. Breathing out through pursed lips, Like blowing out through a straw. Extending your exhalation. So that it is longer than your inhalation. Up to even twice as long. Sense into a rhythm of breath that feels supportive for you. Let your shoulders drop. Let your eyes relax behind closed lids. Soften your jaw. Your neck. Your belly. Next, Take a look inside and notice any emotions that are present. Can you just name them without judgement? Perhaps I see anger as present. Or I see disappointment is present. Or I see frustration is having a visit. Simply notice. You might experiment saying to yourself, All my emotions are welcome here. All my emotions are welcome here. Let those words land. What happens as you make space for your feelings without needing to fix them or push them away? What happens when you let these parts of you that feel strong emotions know? I see you. I hear you. I'm with you. Now call to mind a person or a spiritual figure or pet or perhaps a special place in nature Something that, When you bring it to mind, You feel some comfort or ease. Without pushing away your emotions. See what happens as you sense into the comfort, Support or peace of this person, Place or being. Let that support surround you. And sink into the depth of your heart. Your heart space. Now turn your awareness to your thoughts. To the mental activity of your mind. Can you let your thoughts come and go as if you're looking through special binoculars that allow you to watch your thoughts from a distance? What are you observing? Are your thoughts rushed? Harried? Charged? Neutral? Pleasant? Is there stillness or space between your thoughts? Are the waters of your mind calm like a lake without ripples or more turbulent with big waves? Or something else. See if there are any thoughts that have a strong charge. If so, Say to yourself, I notice that I'm having the thought that, And fill in the blanks. If your thought is, This day is going to be so stressful. Change it to, I notice that I'm having the thought that this day is going to be so stressful. If you're saying to yourself, I can't handle this, Try saying to yourself, I noticed that I'm having the thought that I can't handle this. See how labeling the noticing of thoughts in this way. Can help loosen their grip. Finally! Notice any ways you might be inclined to act or react in this moment. As you consider moving forward into the next moments of your day Connect in with your deepest values. With the most expansive part of yourself that knows what is most important to you and what is best for your well-being. How would you like to show up in the moments ahead for others and or for yourself? What would that best version of yourself do? How would you choose to act to support your well-being? How might you take care of yourself in a way that aligns with who you want to be? It may be as simple as putting a hand on your heart and reminding yourself you're human. And sending yourself some kindness and care for whatever you're experiencing. It may be creating a few pauses in your day to take three intentional breaths. Or reaching out to a supportive other. When you are ready, Take several deeper, More intentional breaths. Take your time as you come back into the room. Ready to move forward into your day or evening.