Welcome to this SOS meditation exercise for stress.
When we are stressed,
Our hearts start beating fast and naturally our body muscles become tensed up.
This exercise shifts your focus away from the stressful events for a moment and instead bring your attention back onto your body.
Before we begin,
Say thank you to yourself for the efforts and time to practice with me today.
To begin,
Find a comfortable position,
Whether it's sitting on the floor or on a chair.
Gently place your hands on your thighs.
Now slowly close your eyes and feel the surface beneath you,
The feeling of grounded and supported by the ground.
Make sure that your back is straight.
Open your chest and relax your shoulders.
Start to observe how your body is feeling right now.
You might be worried about the past and the future,
But that's completely fine.
Let these thoughts pass by your mind and don't dive into it.
You don't need to force your mind to stop thinking,
But just simply noticing these thoughts and bring the focus back onto your body.
Before we begin,
Let's take some time to observe how your body is feeling right now.
Does it feel heavy or restless?
Now let's take a few deep breaths.
Inhale deeply through your nose and then exhale slowly through your mouth.
Once more,
Inhale and slowly exhale.
When you inhale,
Imagine breathing in peace and calmness.
When you exhale,
Release all your stressful and anxious thoughts out of your body.
Our minds are often affected by the emotions,
Our thoughts become scattered and fast.
But during this practice,
I want you to be an observer of your own body.
Just simply noticing if any emotions or thoughts arise without any judgment or attention to them.
I want you to observe and pay attention to your breathing now.
Observe the movement of your abdomen during each breath.
If you can't feel the subtle movement,
You might gently place one of your hands onto your belly.
In that way,
The sensation of the rise and fall would be more profound.
Feel your abdomen expanding during your inhale and contracting on the exhale.
Without changing your breathing,
Just simply observe the movement.
Continue to breathe in your own pace.
Observe how your body is feeling.
Scan and observe the whole of your body,
From head to toes.
Noticing when any sensation arises during each part of your body.
Now gently guide your attention back to this present moment.
See how your body is feeling right now.
Bring your attention to the surrounding,
The air,
The chair,
All the temperature in the room.
We will end this exercise by taking one last deep breath together.
Inhale and exhale.
When you are ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Bring this peaceful mind with you for the rest of the day.
And you can always come back to this exercise when you are feeling stressful.
Thank you!
