Stress Pause

This short meditation is designed to offer a reset when you are feeling stressed, helping you calm the nervous system. This will help you go forward into your day with a sense of greater clarity, ease, and calm.

Music: “Deep Into Nature" composed by Music Of Wisdom - Licensed from Meditation Music Library

Disclaimer: This meditation is purely for educational purposes and is not intended as a psychological intervention or as a substitute for professional mental health or other services.

Transcript

Begin by getting into a comfortable seated position,

Bringing your awareness to your inhalation and to your exhalation.

Notice the breath coming in through your nose naturally,

Without effort.

And start to slow down your exhalations so that your exhalation is a few counts longer than your inhalation.

You might even sigh out your exhalation,

Or breathe out as if through a straw through pursed lips.

Taking longer exhalations,

Begin to send soothing messages to your nervous system,

And it's safe to relax.

Notice what happens in your body as you do this.

If there are any places where you feel tension,

Stress,

Or tightness,

You might invite some breath into those places,

Inviting in a kind of softening in any way that's available in this moment.

You might put your hand on your heart,

Or anywhere in your body where it feels soothing and calming.

Imagine a good friend,

Or a compassionate being,

Real or imagined,

Or a beloved pet,

Or an encouraging mentor standing beside you.

Picture that this being wants the best for you,

That is sending care and kindness to you,

Wishing for your well-being.

Let these feelings of care sink into your heart as if you could breathe in directly through your heart center,

With each breath.

Let this care and kindness sit side by side with whatever other emotions may be present.

As you notice any thoughts arising in your mind,

Observe them as if you're carrying a flashlight,

And in the light of the flashlight,

You can see your thoughts as if they're clouds passing through the sky,

Coming and going.

You might be curious,

Notice if your thoughts are focused on the past,

The future,

Or the present.

You might notice if your thoughts contribute to feelings of stress in any way.

Finally,

Take a moment and ask yourself what might be needed or helpful as you move forward into your day or evening.

No need to figure it out.

Just put the question out there and trust your own inner guidance.

When you are ready,

Come back into the room at your own pace.

Reviews

I woke up with some anxiety and stress today. I knew I needed something to come back to the present moment, so I gave this short meditation a try. It was wonderful! I loved your calming voice and the birds in the background. In just 5 minutes these feelings of anxiety and stress reduced by about 70%! Thank you so much!💜

Thank you for this.

We are dealing with recovery from hurricanes Helene and Milton. We needed this reset to keep going. Thank you.

Thank you 🙏

Excellent

Thank you for this short but sweet practice.

Lovely gentle five minutes of calming peaceful time to stop in the middle of my day. Thank you 🙏🏼 🩷

I tried a 10 minute practise before this and I got WAY more out of this 5 minute practise than I did that other longer one! Thank you ❤️

Nice

Really beautiful, calming and peaceful. Good sound quality, very nice soothing, not distracting background music and sounds

Great for quick unplug and relaxation

🌺💕⭐️

I love the background birds

This quick meditation is perfect for those moments of stress or feeling overwhelmed.

Thank you. Just what I needed this morning.

What a lovely lovely reminder and serene meditation to start my day. Thank you 💜

Thank you. 🙏🏼❤️