Hello and welcome,
My name is Farah.
In this practice,
I'll guide you through a gentle breath awareness technique that can support you in relieving any anxious thoughts or feelings in your body.
By mindfully directing your awareness to your breath,
You can tune into your inner world and allow whatever is creating anxiety in the outside world to softly dissipate with each breath.
I'll be guiding you in and out of this practice and will offer a moment of silence in between for you to tune in deeply with your breath.
When you're ready,
Find a comfortable place to sit.
Allow your sit bones to connect with the seat or the ground beneath you and the crown of your head to lift upwards towards the sky.
To begin,
I invite you to set a compassionate intention for today's practice.
Intentions are a powerful way to guide your energy and focus.
Perhaps your intention is to simply be here.
Perhaps it's to allow your mind to soften and to let go of all distractions or the to-do list.
Perhaps you'd like to release any worrying thoughts or maybe you want this time to feel more connected to yourself.
Settle on an intention that feels supportive for you at this moment.
Now let's take these next few moments to settle the mind.
Allow your awareness to rest in the space between your temples.
The part of your brain that processes your emotional responses and reactions.
The part of your brain that is expressing itself through anxious thought.
Hold your awareness here and with compassion offer gratitude to this part of you.
You might say thank you for your wanting to protect me.
I appreciate all that you do to try to keep me safe.
I acknowledge that you're just trying to keep me from any physical and emotional pain and I'm okay.
Right now,
Right here,
I'm okay.
You can let go.
You can let go.
Take a few soft and slow breaths directing gratitude to the parts of you that have been working overtime in thought.
Gently release and begin to allow your breath now to guide your awareness down from your head into your belly.
Take your time.
Gently guide your focus there.
Notice now how your breath feels in this part of your body.
Perhaps it's very subtle.
Perhaps you can feel the soft expanse of your ribs as you inhale.
Notice your inhale and your exhale.
Notice how your body feels as you breathe.
Just noticing without labeling or judging.
This continuous cycle of breath.
There's nowhere else you need to be right now except with your breath.
Your deep breath that originates from the lower part of your lungs in this area of your body is powerful.
Connecting to your breath here can invite deeper relaxation and help to support you back into homeostasis,
Calming your mind and releasing tension in your body.
You're going to start to tap into the power of your deep breath to relieve your mind from anxiety.
To begin,
Imagine there is a gentle stream of soft,
Warm light flowing down from the space between your temples and pooling into your upper belly.
The light is soothing,
Calming and peaceful.
The stream is infinite,
Flowing gently with your breath.
As you inhale,
Follow the stream from your belly to your head.
And as you exhale,
Glide back down from your head to your belly.
Your inhale collects fresh,
Warm light from your belly and carries it up to your head.
Your head releases all anxious thoughts into the light as you exhale down into your belly.
Keep following the path of breath up on the inhale and down on the exhale.
Imagining in the knowledge that with each breath your anxious thoughts are carried away.
Keep your awareness with your flowing breath.
I'll return in a few minutes to guide you out of practice.
If your mind has drifted at all,
Gently guide it back towards the flow of light.
Inhaling softly and exhaling peacefully.
On your next exhale,
Rest your awareness in your upper belly.
Feel the sensations as the warm light pools and fills this part of your body.
Feel your belly's capacity to hold this light and this energy as fuel.
As a source of gentle,
Compassionate power.
Allow yourself to feel your capacity to come back into balance.
Your power to shift from anxiety into calm.
Your ability to offer yourself compassion in challenging times.
Use this calm,
Warm and peaceful energy to guide you into your day.
We'll close practice here.
Thank you for the gift of your presence.
I wish you a beautiful day.
See you next time.
