Hi,
I'm Jan Mahler and welcome to exercise number one in my series of exercises designed to help you deal with work pressure and prevent burnout.
Find a comfortable position.
You can sit or lay down with your spine straight and your shoulders relaxed.
Next,
You can start the exercise by taking a few deep breaths,
Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
And every time you exhale,
You just imagine that your body starts relaxing,
Little by little.
Bring your attention to your toes.
Notice any sensation there,
Maybe some tension,
Or maybe warmth,
Or cold.
And imagine,
With each in-breath,
The air you breathe in moves towards that part of your body,
Your toes.
And the air,
When it reaches the toes,
Helps relax that part of your body.
And then you do the same with your feet,
Breathing into your feet and into your ankles,
Releasing any tension.
In those parts,
And your coughs,
And knees,
Breathing into your thighs and buttocks,
Breathing into your back.
Each in-breath,
Helping you to relax,
Helping you to release tensions.
Now in your hands,
Breathing into your hands and forearms.
And the upper part of your arms and shoulders,
Breathing into your neck and your head.
Feeling your chest moving,
And your abdomen moving,
And the breath is happening all by itself.
Now focus on the breathing.
Just feel the air of the in-breath and the out-breath.
And now you just try.
After breathing in,
To hold the air,
For two or three seconds,
Before you exhale.
Just let thoughts come and go,
Without giving them any attention.
And just feel how the breathing is softening up all the tensions,
Relaxing your body,
Relaxing your mind.
Okay.
You can breathe normal now.
I would now like to ask you to think about three things you are grateful for in your life.
Reflect a little bit on the positive aspects of your life,
No matter how small.
And allow a sense of gratitude to fill your being.
Helping you to let go of worries,
And stress,
And tensions.
Now I would like you to use your imagination for a moment.
Try to picture a place that brings you peace.
Maybe a place you have been some time,
And you felt peaceful there.
It could be a beach,
A forest,
A mountain maybe.
Any serene location.
Just imagine yourself there.
Peaceful.
And resting.
Now bring your attention back to your body.
Just observe how it is sitting or laying down.
No need to do anything right now.
Giving yourself some space,
Just to rest.
You can now start to end the exercise.
Become aware of your breathing again.
Maybe you want to wriggle your toes and your fingers a little bit,
To start waking up.
Take a deep breath,
And when you exhale,
Just slowly open your eyes.
And thank yourself for having dedicated these minutes to your own well-being.
