Lean into each exhale.
Lean into each exhale.
When panic arises.
We often forget to breathe out.
So as you settle into this meditation.
Which will help you to stabilize.
Try to take a slow,
Steady breath in.
And let it gently empty back out.
Again,
Slow,
Steady inhale.
Really settling into the exhale.
There's no need to breathe perfectly,
Just try to let it flow,
Following each inhale with an exhale.
My name is Jason Stevenson and I'm here with you.
However unsettled you might feel right now.
My intention is to guide and support you.
Not as a therapist,
But as a friend.
Whatever you're feeling right now is your body's alarm system.
It can feel really intense,
But it's not permanent.
And over the coming minutes.
Your mind and body may begin to settle.
But we're not going to rush there.
Will take it one breath.
At a time.
If at any point you need to pause.
Adjust your breathing.
Or shift your focus.
You have permission to do that.
So continue to lean into or sink into each exhale.
Allowing every breath that enters your body to leave it slowly.
Naturally emptying out.
Each breath flowing slowly in each breath emptying out.
Breath flowing in and out.
And a slow breath flowing out.
As you breathe.
Soften any urge to fix this moment.
Yes,
We want these feelings to fade for you,
And they will.
But there's nothing to force.
Your body will naturally settle.
And it's helpful to soften any pressure in the process.
So let your breath come in.
And let your breath flow out.
If it helps,
You might place one hand on your chest.
And one on your belly.
Feeling the way your abdomen rises as you breathe in.
And the soft surrender of each breath out.
You don't have to force your breath to flow deeper.
Just try to let each one complete its natural cycle.
And if it feels comfortable.
May be breathing in for a count of four.
And breathing out for a count of four.
Breathing in for four,
And out before.
If you're counting your breath finish one more cycle that way.
Then let the counting dissipate.
And you simply feel the rhythm of your breath.
In your body.
Continue to breathe in complete cycles.
And exhale following each inhale.
And as you do.
Remember that all feelings are temporary.
You will be okay.
In fact.
You already are okay.
Even if it doesn't feel like it yet.
This moment is holding and supporting you.
Exactly as you are.
To help your body feel that.
Sense into the touch points between your body and the surface beneath you.
What are you resting on?
Is it a bed or couch?
The floor or some other surface.
And what about your head?
Is it supported by a pillow?
Holding it just as it is?
Feel the weight of the surface beneath you.
And the earth below it.
Are holding you.
Without asking anything of you.
You are supported here.
You are anchored here.
Just let your physical body soften into the support of what's beneath you as you continue to breathe in full cycles.
Dropping gently.
Into each exhale.
And as you rest here,
Notice with care what's happening.
In your physical body.
Some areas might feel tense or uncomfortable.
But notice as well if there are places that feel steady or neutral.
This isn't about denying or bypassing uncomfortable sensations.
It's about widening our lens.
It's about.
Being able to say.
Yes,
That feeling is here.
And so is this one.
Yes,
Discomfort is here.
But so is ease.
Neutrality.
Take a few moments to anchor in a part of your body that feels neutral or calm.
Maybe it's your hands.
Your feet,
Your calves.
Or someplace else.
If it feels difficult to locate a place in your body that feels neutral or restful,
That's okay.
That too is temporary.
Instead,
You might go back into steady breaths.
Into the feeling of a pillow beneath your head.
Or even into an affirmation.
You might silently repeat with each breath cycle.
This is uncomfortable.
But it will pass.
This is uncomfortable.
But it will pass.
As you move through this meditation.
Remember that you have full agency.
Over where you place your attention.
If something doesn't feel grounding for you.
Let your attention move to what is.
Your breath.
The surface beneath you.
Sounds around you.
Or different parts of your body.
All conserve as anchors.
And so can affirmations.
For a few grounding moments.
Let this next one flow through you.
Either simply feeling into it or repeating it to yourself.
My body knows how to settle.
My body knows how to settle.
My body.
Knows how to settle.
All feelings are temporary.
No feeling is final.
Thoughts,
Emotions,
Sensations.
Everything comes and goes like waves.
We don't need to push them away.
And in fact,
Trying to do so can make them linger longer.
So instead.
.
.
What would it be like to befriend your experience?
What would it be like to step back a little?
To hear another voice arise from within that says,
It's okay.
I'm here with you.
It's okay.
I'm here with you.
Befriending our experience.
Does not ask us to like what's happening.
And it doesn't ask us to fix it.
It's about mating ourselves exactly where we are.
Acknowledging that things can feel difficult.
Even awful sometimes.
But that we're here for ourselves.
It's about subtly bringing another part of ourselves online.
The part that can hold.
Of fullness of our experience.
With care and wisdom.
So as you breathe.
With each out-breath matching the in-breath.
Remind yourself that you're here for yourself.
And that all the while,
No matter what you're experiencing.
The Earth below is holding and supporting you too.
Breathing in slowly and steadily.
And breathing out slowly and steadily.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
When panic arises.
It can be hard to accept that the feelings will soon leave.
But panic is a heightened.
Activated state of your nervous system and it literally cannot will know.
Last.
Your body and your nervous system are wise.
Just as they know how to activate when something feels threatening or overwhelming.
They also know how to return to balance.
That rebalancing is already underway.
And you might feel it in small or large ways.
Just let yourself lean into whatever is supporting this process.
Whatever you can intuitively feel.
Is grounding for you.
With each breath out.
Your body receives a small signal that it can soften.
That it can begin or continue to settle.
And it doesn't happen all at once.
It unfolds gradually.
As your body naturally recalibrates.
You don't need to make this recalibration happen Your only task is to stay with the breath.
Leaning gently into the exile.
Or to stay close to whatever else stabilizes you.
You can simply allow your body to do what it already knows how to do.
With your gentle.
Compassionate Support.
As you rest here breathing.
Angering.
Silently repeat the following words,
Or just feel their energy meet you.
I can feel what I feel.
And know that I am okay.
I can feel what I feel.
And know that I am okay.
I can feel what I feel.
And know that I am okay.
However you're feeling right now.
However much or little things.
Have yet shifted for you.
You are moving towards inner stability.
You are moving back.
Into balance.
Continue letting each exhale mirror each inhale.
What comes in must go out.
And let each breath out be a reminder to soften.
Now.
Draw your attention to the soles of your feet.
To your heels and the top of your feet.
And your toes.
And with an exhale invite your feet to soften,
To ground down towards the earth.
As we journey slowly through the physical body now.
Remember that you have full agency.
To make this practice your own.
The invitation is to gently soften or loosen any tension or discomfort.
But also to recognize when you need to shift your focus to something that instantly grounds you.
Be that another part of your body.
Your breath,
Or something else.
Just give yourself permission to shift your focus and to adapt the practice as you need.
Right now,
Let your attention come to rest in your ankles.
Just sensing these joints with care.
And inviting them.
To soften.
Rising into your lower legs.
Letting the muscles melt.
And the bones rest.
Anchoring for a full breath or two in your knees,
Just bearing witness to these parts of your body.
Gently softening.
And moving into your thighs when you're ready.
Feeling the way these muscles naturally sink down towards the earth.
Supporting them in that direction just a little more.
Give your legs full permission to rest.
Silently repeating.
My body and mind are softening.
Our body and mind are softening.
Let your attention now rise into your tailbone,
Sacrum,
And sit bones.
Imagine this part of your pelvis rooting down.
Anchoring into the support of the earth.
Softening any tension within and around them.
Take a slow,
Steady breath in all the way down to your pelvis area.
Releasing with an equal breath out.
And sense into your belly.
Watching it rise and fall rhythmically.
You don't need to force the movement.
And you don't need to make your breath particularly deep.
The only invitation is to gently soften your core muscles.
To allow for the natural movement.
That ebbs and flows through this part of your body.
And all the while.
Making space for your experience to be as it is.
It's okay if there's tension or discomfort.
It's okay if it feels difficult to soften.
Silently repeating.
As I am.
I am okay.
Everything will be okay.
As I am,
I am okay.
Everything will be okay.
Notice if you can feel your breath expanding to fill your ribcage.
It's okay if you can,
And it's okay if you can't.
Sense or imagine the breath meeting the front of your ribs.
The sides of your ribs.
And the back of your ribcage.
Inviting the bones to rest.
And the muscles in and around them to soften.
Sense into your heart and your chest if it feels okay for you.
It's okay if there's a little discomfort there.
So long as it doesn't feel overwhelming.
But if sensing this area doesn't feel grounding right now.
Just place your attention on something that does.
If you are here in your heart area.
Feel your breath flow in and out in equal parts.
Maybe sensing a gentle expansion on the in-breath.
And the way your chest softens on the out-breath.
And silently repeat.
I am a friend to myself.
Through the good times.
And the bad.
I am a friend to myself.
Through the good times.
And the bed.
And draw your attention up into your shoulders.
And see if you can let them drop.
Remind them that here,
In this moment,
You are saved.
That it's okay for them to soften.
There's nothing they need to brace against.
And as your shoulders relax.
Let your attention flow slowly down your arms to your fingertips.
Bearing witness to your upper arms.
Noticing your elbows.
Sensing into your forearms.
And your wrists.
Than feeling for a few slow,
Nurturing breaths into your hands.
Invite your hands to soften.
And to become imbued with a sense of care and compassion.
And if your hands aren't already resting on your body.
You might place a palm for a few breaths on your heart.
Or on your forehead.
Or maybe on a cheek or shoulder.
The intention here is to connect with yourself in a really gentle,
Compassionate way.
A gesture,
If you like,
That whispers.
I'm here.
I've got you.
I'm here.
I've got you.
You might feel a warmth emanating from your palms.
Or just a subtle energy of kindness and patience.
And remembering that you can always lean back into your exhale if you need to.
Or into the pillow beneath your head.
Or anything else that anchors you.
Now let your awareness travel into the sides of your neck sensing whatever may be present there.
And inviting these muscles to relax.
Then slowly and gently scan your entire face inviting all the small muscles there to soften.
Relaxing your jaw and your tongue your cheeks and your temples.
Your eyebrows and your forehead.
As your entire face relaxes.
Let this sense of ease expand out to the sides of your head.
The back of your head.
The top of your head.
And to soften the inner workings of your mind.
To gently without force or pressure.
Quiet your thoughts.
Silently repeating.
Thoughts pass.
All feelings pass.
I reconnect with what grounds me.
Sense into your whole body where it's resting.
Notice How.
If at all.
Your body has shifted.
Notice how,
If at all,
Your mind has shifted.
And become aware of any single place in your body.
That feels neutral or relaxed.
And let your attention rest there for a few breaths,
Breathing into that place.
Breathing out.
From that place.
Breathing into that place.
Breathing out.
From that place.
And as you breathe,
Silently repeat or simply absorb the words.
I am coming home.
To the calm beyond the storm.
I am coming home.
To the calm.
Beyond the storm.
Like the world around us.
We too.
Experience weather patterns.
Sometimes our thoughts and feelings are calm and sunny.
At other times.
They're rainy.
Cloudy or windy.
And like the weather.
How we feel is not permanent.
Again the body.
And the nervous system.
Is actually very wise.
And however imperfect its methods are.
It is always trying to support and protect us.
So take a moment if you're ready for it.
To whisper a word of kindness to your nervous system.
It might get over activated at times.
But it's always just trying to help.
And again,
You don't need to force it to settle or calm down.
It knows how to find balance all on its own.
Simply breathe.
Simply anchor yourself.
To make space for more and more of that settling to happen.
Now for just a short while.
Let's deepen our focus on the breath.
When you first arrived here.
I noted that often when we begin to panic,
We also forget to exhale.
So let's really lean into each exhale by emphasizing it.
Rather than making it equal to the inhale,
Let's lengthen it.
Breathing in to a count of four.
And out to a count of six.
So when you're ready,
Let all the air leave your body,
Then slowly inject the inhale for one.
To.
3.
4,
Pausing just at the top and exhaling for 1,
2,
3,
4.
For.
5.
.
.
6.
.
.
Repeat this breathing pattern at your own pace a few more times.
Really guide yourself to soften.
Or to melt.
Into the out-breath.
Finish one more exhale to a count of six,
Then continue breathing naturally.
You might notice that as you move through this practice,
And as your nervous system settles,
You begin to grow sleepy.
Sleep is one of the body's most natural ways of restoring balance.
When the nervous system has been working hard,
Sleep offers a gentle reset.
A time when the body can regulate,
Process.
And recover in ways that it just simply can't do while awake.
So if sleep begins to come,
Allow it,
Ensuring you're in a safe and comfortable place to drift off.
But until then,
While you're awake.
You can gently continue with the practice.
Breathing.
Anchoring.
Regulating.
Perhaps you're beginning to relate to your experience in a slightly different way now as the waves have settled.
Even if just a little.
Rather than being swept away by every wave.
You might now be able to find your footing on the shore.
And from this place.
A gentle distance from the water.
You might still see the waves moving.
You might still notice thoughts coming and going.
Sensations appearing and disappearing.
But you're no longer carried away by every wave.
He was standing on steadier ground.
Watching the movement from a bit of a distance.
And still.
It's OK.
And entirely human.
To be swept away at times.
But with every breath.
With every compassionate pause.
You can come back to what anchors you.
It's not about always being Zen.
Or being unfazed by life.
It's about learning how to regulate.
To come back home to the calm on the other side of the storm.
Allow the following words to flow through you now.
You might silently repeat them or simply feel them in your body.
Waves come and go.
And I stand safely on the shore.
Waves come and go.
And I stand safely on the shore.
Imagine the any inner waves of sensation.
And emotion a growing karma.
Not because you forced them to settle.
But because things always.
Always shift.
Just as the ocean cannot stay stormy forever.
The mind and body always move toward balance.
In their own time.
And you might notice now.
That even when the waves appear your inner resilience is getting stronger and stronger.
A growing sense of steadiness amidst the current.
Now let's take one more moment to really.
.
.
Deeply and truly.
Lean into the exile.
Inhaling slowly and gently.
And as you exhale,
Really feeling what it feels like to lean into the out-breath.
Maybe it feels like you're giving yourself over to it.
Like a fool bodied,
Letting go.
Like a deep.
Restorative sigh of relief.
Feel the way you're nourished by each in-breath.
And how grounding and freeing the out-breath can be.
Continue to breathe naturally.
Maybe even letting your breath drift into the background of your awareness now.
And as you slowly drift off into sleep.
Allow the following words of affirmation to flow through you.
You don't need to repeat them now.
You don't need to analyse or even believe in them.
Just allow them to enter your consciousness.
As your mind and body gently let go.
Into sleep.
And until next time.
Good night,
My friend.
Good night.
My body knows how to settle.
My mind knows how to find peace.
I can feel what I feel and know that I'm okay.
I am a friend to myself through the ebbs and flows.
My body is coming back into balance.
I stand on a safe and steady shoreline.
All sensations are temporary.
No feeling is fixed.
I can ride this moment one breath at a time.
I find my anchor amidst the waves.
My nervous system knows how to regulate.
I am reclaiming my inner peace.
I am resilient beyond measure.
I can allow this moment to unfold.
I am okay and everything will be okay.
I am the calm beyond the storm.
I lean into every exhale.
This wave will pass.
And so will the next.
I meet this moment with patience.
I am safe,
Held and supported.
