Hello nurse and welcome to your meditation.
A moment to let go.
As nurses we hear and see so much and we knew that this path would be hard and that we would have stressful days but for many of us we probably didn't expect that every shift would seemingly feel so heavy or at least almost every shift.
And so right now as a moment of self-care,
As a moment to offer ourselves some grace for everything that we go through,
Let's take some time here to let go.
To let go of what happened on that shift.
To let go about any thoughts we may be having about an upcoming shift and let's give ourselves permission here to simply rest.
And so I invite you to shift but not a shift in a way that you may imagine.
This is a different shift.
A shift into calm.
A shift into yourself.
And so if you can find a comfortable place where you can sit down or lie down even.
And please before you listen to this meditation only listen if it's safe for you to do so.
And in this comfortable space just taking a moment to let go of all the noise.
Let go of the PPE.
Let go of the patience.
The endless to-do things.
Let go of your colleagues.
Let go of the system.
Let go of the government.
Let go of the news.
Let all of these images just fade into the background.
Just blur it out and focus on what's happening right here,
Right now.
Shifting your attention to this moment,
To my voice,
And most importantly to yourself.
Notice where you are right now.
I'm feeling the surface beneath you supporting your body.
If it feels right you can close your eyes or you can lower your gaze just looking downward,
Not really focused in on anything.
And simply begin to arrive fully here.
In this moment.
When you can start by taking a long breath in and breathing out your mouth with a sigh.
Again taking another long breath in creating space here to allow your lungs to fully expand and fill with air.
And letting go.
Another long breath in through your nose into your lungs.
Holding it at the top and then letting it go out your mouth with a sigh.
And just continuing to notice where you are.
Noticing where you're sitting.
Noticing the sounds around you.
Noticing the smells.
And noticing also if any thoughts pop up.
And then letting those thoughts go by returning back to your breath.
Or by returning to the sound of my voice.
Beginning here to simply relax.
As a reminder if thoughts pop up that's okay.
You're not doing this meditation wrong if you notice that you're thinking about other things.
Just gently bring your focus back to the sensations of your body or the rhythm of your breath.
There's no wrong or right way to do this.
You're simply practicing being here now.
And so to deepen this practice let's bring our attention over down to our feet.
To begin this process of grounding ourselves in this moment so that we can feel a sense of relaxation.
And so just noticing our feet.
As nurses these are the feet that carry us through our long shifts.
Our feet is what tirelessly supports us through each day,
Every day.
And so just noticing our feet right now.
And feeling our feet supported by the floor beneath us or simply maybe just resting where they are.
Breathing down into our feet.
And with that breath melting away any stress that we may be having there.
So breathing down into your feet.
And on the exhale letting go.
Letting your feet relax.
Take another deep breath in.
And as you exhale just imagine the tension in your feet melting away,
Sinking into the ground beneath you.
Breathing in again.
And with your next exhale feel your feet growing heavier.
Feel your feet more grounded.
Feel your feet fully supported by the earth.
And now shift your attention over to your legs.
Our legs move us from patient to patient.
Our legs carry the physical and emotional weight of each shift.
And so breathing into our legs.
Noticing any tension,
Noticing any sensations,
Any warmth,
Coolness,
Tightness in our legs.
And as we exhale,
Letting the heaviness flow down and out of our bodies.
Almost as if the tension is being pulled away by gravity.
And so feeling your legs growing lighter and more at ease.
And then simply moving up our body,
Bringing our focus over to our hands.
As nurses,
Our hands do so much.
They comfort,
They care,
And they heal.
And so just noticing any sensations in your hands.
Are your hands clenched?
Or are they relaxed?
Are your hands warm or cool?
Taking a deep breath into your nose.
And as you exhale,
Imagine that the tension in your hands are melting away.
And if your hands were clenched,
Letting your fingers loosen and soften.
Releasing all the energy they've been holding.
And now bringing your awareness over to your shoulders.
Our shoulders hold so much.
The weight of our responsibilities,
The stress of our day.
And so just noticing if your shoulders feel tight.
Or tense.
And so breathing in and then your inhale,
Bringing your shoulders up with you.
And on your exhale,
Dropping your shoulders down.
Almost as if you're setting down a heavy bag.
And just feeling the space that opens up as you relax your shoulders.
And now bringing your attention to your face.
Noticing your jaw.
Noticing if your jaw is tight.
And if it is,
Bringing awareness to your jaw to relax it.
Noticing your forehead.
If it's tense,
Inviting yourself here permission to soften the muscles in your forehead.
In fact,
Giving yourself permission here to allow your entire face to rest.
Free of effort.
Free of expression.
And then finally,
Bring your attention over to your chest.
Specifically to the area where your heart is.
This is where so much of your care and compassion come from.
If you like,
You can even place your hand over onto your heart.
Feeling the beating,
The rhythm of your heartbeat.
Taking a deep breath into your chest.
And as you exhale,
Imagine your heart is filling with warmth and light.
A reminder of your strength and your purpose.
And if you like,
If you had your hand over at your heart,
You can keep it there or you can gently start to place your hand back down.
And as we start to conclude this meditation,
A moment to affirm to yourself silently or out loud these words,
If they resonate with you.
I give myself permission to release what I cannot control.
I am strong.
I am able.
I am capable.
I am enough.
I trust myself to move through challenges with grace.
I deserve moments of peace.
Rest.
Relaxation.
I am allowed to take a moment to care for myself as deeply as I care for others.
And then taking one final deep breath in,
Filling your lungs completely.
And then a long,
Slow exhale out your mouth.
Releasing anything that no longer serves you.
Taking a moment to notice how your body feels right now.
Maybe you feel a little lighter,
A little more at ease.
And just taking a moment to bask in how you feel.
And then when you're ready,
You can gently start to bring your awareness back to the room where you are.
Feel the surface beneath you,
The sounds around you.
You may even want to wiggle your fingers and your toes,
Move your mind.
Move your body side to side.
And then when you're ready,
At your own time,
If your eyes were closed,
You can begin to open your eyes or lift your gaze.
And then thanking yourself for showing up today.
Thanking yourself for letting go,
For choosing to ground yourself in this moment.
Thanking yourself for reconnecting with your body.
And reminding yourself that you can carry this calm energy with you.
And knowing that you can return to it whenever you need to.
And lastly,
Remember that you're always doing the best you can,
And that's more than enough.
Thank you.
