Hi,
My name is Jordana Rehm,
And in this series,
We're going to address issues and anxiety related to the coronavirus outbreak.
There is so much uncertainty with this outbreak,
And I know that feels really scary.
My intention in creating this series is to support you in managing anxiety and to create a space of calm so that you can act purposefully in protecting your own well-being and supporting loved ones as well.
Together,
We'll become better equipped to manage and overcome the challenges and the massive fear that's arising from this outbreak.
We'll do various practices,
Including tuning into our bodies,
Boosting our immune system,
And we'll learn ways to create habits for sustaining a positive mindset.
We're going to use this as an opportunity to cultivate more compassion and to be pillars of calm for our community.
They need this now more than ever.
In this first session,
We'll do a simple calming practice and tune into our bodies.
We'll understand our own well-being,
And we'll plant the seeds for more.
So if you're ready,
Let's go ahead and get started.
Find a comfortable position,
Either sitting down,
Cross-legged,
Or with the feet planted firmly on the floor.
Relax the shoulders down the back.
Create space in the neck so it can be long.
Let the face relax,
The small and large muscles of the face.
Bring the jaw loose.
And if you're comfortable,
Close the eyes.
We're going to start with a centering breath.
We're going to breathe in for four,
And then we're going to breathe out for four.
So we'll begin together on my count.
So breathing in,
Two,
Three,
And four.
And breathing out,
Two,
Three,
And four.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Go ahead and continue on your own count,
Letting the breath center you.
And finding equanimity in your breath.
And on your next breath in,
I want you to hold the breath,
Holding the breath at the top.
And then open your mouth side out.
And letting your breath normalize now.
And finding your natural rhythm.
And as you find your natural rhythm,
Notice that your body is even more relaxed.
And perhaps you might notice that there's a way you can relax even deeper.
And sometimes just by placing your awareness somewhere that you typically have tension,
You can encourage it to relax.
So when we can tune into our bodies and ask our bodies to relax,
We put ourselves in a mode for healing into the part of the nervous system that is restful,
That can face challenges with ease and grace.
And bring awareness to the belly and see if you can soften it a bit.
You might notice the hips carry a lot of tension.
So here you can imagine that any heaviness,
Any burden carried by the hips can just dissolve into the surface that you're sitting on.
And for the next minute or so,
Just continuing to relax the body if any areas of tension come to mind.
And return to your natural breath as a centering point.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
And And you sense right here that there is an essence of okayness,
Just being okay.
Maybe it's not blissful,
But it's not frightful either.
A place of being calm in the center of it all,
Okay as you are.
So with this you might repeat the words in your mind as you breathe in,
In this moment and as you breathe out,
I am perfectly okay.
In this moment I am perfectly okay.
So with this you might repeat the words in your mind as you breathe in,
In this moment and as you breathe out,
I am perfectly okay.
So before we close this practice,
Let's send a wish of well-being to our loved ones,
To our community.
Bring your hands together at a prayer position and bring it to your heart,
Beginning with gratitude for your own practice and a wish for yourself.
Bringing to mind these words,
May I be healthy,
May I stay well.
Bring your thumbs now to touch your lips.
We send this wish for well-being to all beings.
May my loved ones,
My community,
May all beings be healthy.
May you be well.
As we seal this intention,
We visualize well-being for all.
You can go ahead and blow a kiss and let your hands rest now in your lap.
And taking a deep breath,
Coming out of the practice in your own time.
I am so glad that you chose to practice with me today.
Thank you for taking the time to breathe into your own well-being and to share the collective wish that we all maintain our health and well-being in this time.
So let's put more good intention out there and share our wishes for well-being.
I'd love to hear your comments on this meditation and any blessings that you want to share for your community,
Your loved ones.
What is your heartfelt wish for yourself and for all in this time?
In the next session,
We'll work on boosting our immune system.
I hope to see you there.
And until then,
Stay well.
