Hi,
My name is Catherine,
Your meditation teacher.
Welcome to this practice to help you create some space and ease from anxiety and anxious thoughts.
Maybe you are struggling with anxiety.
Perhaps you feel anxious,
Tense or stressed.
Maybe you feel overwhelmed.
Maybe you feel unsure and you want to create some space and freedom inside your mind.
You want to feel at ease.
Be kind and gentle with yourself during your practice as we work with the breath.
I invite you to take a moment here to pause.
Find your way into a comfortable position.
Some days it feels good to be seated.
Other days it feels good to lie down.
Then close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Today relax your jaw.
Take a deeper breath in and breathe out.
Again,
Deeper breath in and breathe out.
One more like this.
Deeper breath in and breathe out.
Now allow your breath to settle into its natural rhythm.
Allow yourself to be held by the surface beneath you rather than holding on.
Surrender,
Release and let go.
Feel the support and relax everywhere.
Feel that your body can soften as you breathe evenly and smoothly.
Your breath anchoring you to the present moment,
The here and now.
One breath at a time.
One moment at a time.
Just breathe.
As we begin to count the breath,
Counting 1 on the inhale,
2 on the exhale,
3 on the inhale,
4 on the exhale,
All the way up to 8 and then start over.
And if you lose count along the way,
It's okay.
You can just begin again.
Slowly counting the breath.
No need to shape the breath in any way.
Notice the breath.
If you get lost in thoughts,
It's okay.
Just start over.
Counting the breath,
Air moving in,
Air moving out.
You can stay with counting the breath or you can just let go of that focus for a moment.
Remaining in stillness.
Creating some space from the what ifs and the other illusions that fuel anxiety.
Feeling a sense of gratitude for this day and being able to breathe your way through it.
Calming the butterflies in your stomach.
Dissipating the worry that becomes stuck in your system.
Quietening those nagging doubts in your mind.
Coming back to taking one step at a time.
To create focus and certainty.
Feet grounded on the earth.
Whilst the breath anchors you to the here and now.
And feel that you are cultivating some peace here.
By remaining in stillness and coming back to the breath.
Counting 1 on the inhale,
2 on the exhale,
3 on the inhale,
4 on the exhale.
All the way up to 8 and then starting over.
Remembering if you become distracted by thought and lose count,
Just regroup and start over.
Keep coming back to the breath.
Feel with each breath that you can allow yourself to let go of any worries or concerns about the past or the future.
Counting the breath as you maintain your focus back to the here and now.
Where you are safe and supported.
In this moment gently remind yourself that you are safe.
And that you are capable of managing whatever challenges come your way.
As you continue to breathe evenly and smoothly.
Feel a sense of peace radiating from within you.
Filling every cell of your body with a profound sense of well-being.
Imagine yourself surrounded by this sense of inner peace and calm.
And know that you can return to this meditation whenever you feel you need to.
Let go of any focus now.
Let go of counting your breath.
Notice the surface beneath you.
Blinking your eyes open if you close them.
Becoming familiar with your surroundings once more.
Movement returning to your body.
Slowly getting up when you are ready.
And take this sense of space and ease into the rest of your day.
Thank you for joining me and I'll see you back here for another meditation.
