Hello and a warm welcome to this breath and body meditation for stress and anxiety.
My name is Derek Hill and I'm a teacher here on Insight Timer and I'm very grateful for your presence here today wherever in the world you're connecting from.
Many of us have a sense that our world is busier and noisier than ever.
More to do,
More to achieve,
More places to go.
And we live more and more through our screens,
Whether TV,
Media or through the many rapid developments in technology,
Real or artificial.
And of course this busy digitally connected world provides wonderful opportunities for connection with others too.
But it also demands a lot of our attention and this noise,
This constant distraction can contribute to much of the stress,
Worry and anxiety we experience.
When we never pause to rest,
When we never get in touch with how we are right now,
When we never switch off.
So this practice is an invitation to do just that.
To step out of the noise and busyness,
To reconnect in body,
Breath,
Mind and heart.
To mindfully calm the waves of stress,
To silence the noise for a moment.
So taking a moment to find a comfortable position,
Whether it's sitting,
Standing or lying down.
And bringing what you need to be comfortable.
And bringing to an alertness,
An awakeness,
A sense of being here,
Right now,
In this moment.
Taking a moment to recognize how you've dedicated this time to being here.
To caring for your needs.
To de-stress,
To rest,
To be at ease,
To step out of the noise.
Becoming aware now of what is going on in your mind,
In your body and in your heart.
There may be a lot going on.
Thoughts about what you have planned for the day or what you may have done.
Conversations,
Images,
Memories.
A list of must-dos.
There may be physical sensations,
Discomfort,
Excitement for the day ahead.
There may be sounds in your environment.
Whatever is here,
Creating some space for it now.
Not attempting to push it away or wish for it to be another way.
Accepting it as it is.
This is what's going on in our mind.
But now,
In this moment,
We'll intentionally focus our attention on sensations in the body.
Beginning with sensations in the hands,
Wherever you find them resting,
By your sides or on your lap or clasped together.
Tuning in as best you can.
Noticing any tingling or warmth,
Any coolness,
Any pulsing or vibrations.
And if you notice nothing,
This is okay too.
We don't have to feel sensations when we practice.
We can acknowledge what is present.
And moving from the hands,
Up the arms,
Taking in the forearms and upper arms.
Noticing any sensations or movement as you do this.
Upwards to the shoulders,
The shoulder blades,
The upper back,
Then the chest and ribcage,
Which houses our heart,
Our lungs,
Our vital organs,
Which allow us to breathe,
Which circulate blood throughout our bodies.
Sensing inward,
Getting closer to what is here for you.
And then moving down to the abdomen,
To the belly.
Noticing any sensations here,
However subtle.
It can be a busy part of our body where we digest our food,
Where we may hold on to worries,
Anxiety,
Excitement.
Sensing inward now,
Sensing into what is here.
Noticing if you can,
Any movements in this area of the body.
There might be movements associated with the breath coming in and the breath going out.
And if this is present for you,
Following this now.
A gentle rise as the breath comes in.
And a falling away as the breath goes out.
And as we do this,
Intentionally shifting our attention now to the breath,
To the in-breath coming in and the out-breath going out.
Wherever you notice the breath the most,
Whether at the belly,
In the chest,
At the back of the throat,
Or at the nose or mouth.
Tuning in closely now to where the breath is for you.
And following the breath coming in and going out as best you can for the next few breaths ahead.
Checking in on where your attention is now.
And whether our mind has been pulled away by a thought,
By a plan,
An image or a memory.
And gently,
With kindness and without any judgment,
Bringing your attention back.
Back to where you were following the breath as this breath comes in.
.
.
And this breath goes out.
Now that we've found a calm space,
A place of stillness,
A place of silence.
Recognizing that this is a place always available to you,
Always here.
When you tune in to the body,
To the breath,
To what's going on inside,
Not just outside.
And in times of busyness,
Noisiness,
Distraction or difficulty,
This place,
This space of calm,
Of peace and silence can be here for you.
All we need is our attention.
Now as we come towards the end of the practice,
Choosing the breath or the body to rest your attention.
Perhaps the feet or hands,
The cycle of the in-breath and out-breath.
And staying with the focus of your attention until you hear the bell at the end of the practice.
I hope that was a helpful way to tune in to the body,
To the breath.
And tune out of busyness,
Of noise.
To mindfully calm any waves of stress.
To become aware of a place of stillness that you have within whenever you need it.
