Calming anxiety,
A meditation with Cindy Wolk Weiss.
Welcome.
Let's begin with finding a posture that is relaxed and comfortable,
Taking a moment to adjust your posture so that all body parts are fully supported and you are comfortable.
And bring a gentle awareness to the contact your body is making with the surface beneath you,
Taking this time to sense your body and what it needs and all sensations that arise with great kindness.
Please note that I will pause several times during this meditation so you have time to really settle in.
Inviting yourself to experience whatever is arising in this moment,
Letting go of judgments,
Noticing body sensations,
Mind states,
Thoughts and emotions.
So taking several deep breaths,
Slow,
Deep inhalation,
Slow,
Deep exhalation,
Inviting the body mind to relax and center.
Inhale,
Filling your lungs all the way down to the bottom,
Pausing,
Slowly,
Slowly exhaling,
Inhaling spaciousness,
Exhaling tensions,
Inviting the breath to foil the bottom of the lungs,
Perhaps exhaling and ah,
Inhale,
Exhale slowly.
Ah,
Do this for several more breaths,
Breathing in a quality of calm,
Breathing in,
Calming the body,
Breathing out,
Calming the mind,
Allowing the breath now to settle into its natural rhythm,
Not forcing it to be any certain way,
Just breathing in and out.
Perhaps you may enjoy inviting a smile to the corner of your eyes,
Relaxing the eyes,
Sensing them resting resting comfortably in their sockets,
Eyelids relaxed,
Forehead relaxing,
Temples relaxing,
Softening,
Inviting a smile now to the corner of your mouth,
Just a gentle smile as the body recognizes the smile as a feeling of safety.
If you are experiencing any anxiety or thoughts of a situation that make you feel anxious,
Invite all the sensations to be here in this moment of time as best you can.
Breathing is your anchor to the moment.
It will help settle you.
If the breath is related to a trauma,
Then focus on something else,
Your hands laying gently in your lap,
Or a phrase that calms you,
Or a gentle image that feels relaxing.
Make this your own.
Let it suit your needs.
Each of us are individuals.
There may be a story arising,
Creating more anxiety and stress,
Something you're concerned about perhaps that you keep ruminating on.
So note what the story is and now invite the story to drop away,
To be in the background and simply be present with a gentle observation of bodily sensations.
Perhaps you notice coolness or heat,
Tingling or tightness,
Stiffness or tension,
Butterflies in the stomach.
Whatever it may be,
Invite it in with gentleness and awareness,
Curiosity.
If there is fear,
Anxiety or sadness,
Allow them to arise,
Knowing that you are not these emotions or sensations,
But just having an experience that is flowing through you.
It is what happens when we're human.
Let them flow without clamping down on them or judging them,
Noticing the ever-changing experience.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Softening body,
Mind and heart,
Placing a hand on your heart and inviting the smile to enter the heart with kindness and care.
May I feel at ease,
Breathing in kindness,
Breathing out,
Letting be.
If a sensation feels too large,
Then return to feeling the contact your body is having to the place you are sitting,
Feeling the sensations in your hands,
In your feet,
Making contact with earth or with ground,
Breath flowing in,
Breath flowing out,
Softening,
Softening,
Letting be,
Letting go,
Being present with it all just as it is.
And when you are ready,
Slowly opening your eyes,
Exploring the sights in front of you,
Checking in with your body,
With your breath,
Your heart,
The sounds around you,
The smells,
The temperature of the air on your skin,
Reminding yourself that your breath is an anchor to the present moment.
If not the breath,
Then a phrase or a hand position,
Just the sense of contact that your feet make on the floor can return you home to your true nature.
So as you go about your day,
I invite you to use this practice regularly several times throughout your day.
Just check in.
How is my breath?
Where is there tension?
Where can I soften just a bit more?
I wish you much ease and thank you for joining me for this meditation.
Namaste.
