Stress Release Guided Meditation

During this half-hour meditation, J.D. will use both guided imagery and isometric techniques to help you release your stress. It is recommended that you wear loose clothing and have a blanket and pillow ready so that you can be your most comfortable.

Transcript

Through this meditation we're going to start with something called isometrics where you tighten a muscle and then relax it.

This helps when people carry tension in two different ways,

Both physically and emotionally.

So some of the meditation,

The second half,

Will be the emotional-spiritual release,

But the first part is going to be physically allowing your body to release any stress,

Any anxiety that you may have built up.

A lot of these things can appear in muscle tension,

Joint pain,

Headaches.

So I do like to focus at least the first 10 minutes on physical relaxation.

Anything that you don't feel comfortable doing,

Don't do.

You can just breathe and we are going to get started.

Here we go.

Just take a wonderful,

Beautiful deep breath.

Breathing in and out.

Allow the stress of the day,

The week,

The month to just release little by little with every exhale.

This time is a gift for yourself.

Take this time to ease into relaxation.

Each breath in,

Bring in clean,

Fresh,

Positive energy.

Each breath out,

Releasing that tension.

Feeling your body slowly relax.

We're going to start with the hands making a nice tight fist.

You're going to hold and hold and release.

Our hands hold so much tension.

Do that again.

Make a nice fist and release.

You want to give your hands a little massage.

That helps get the circulation going.

Brings relaxation on a deeper level to those muscles.

Releases all that tension.

Now when you make your fist,

You're going to involve your whole arm,

Almost like you're curling your bicep.

You're going to feel your bicep and your tricep holding,

Holding,

Holding and release.

Nice deep breath out.

Feel that deep relaxation through your whole arm from the tip of your fingers all the way up.

We're going to do that again.

You're going to involve the whole arm,

Tighten,

Tighten a nice tight fist,

Tight biceps,

Triceps,

All of it and release.

Before we do the neck,

Just do a little neck stretch off to one side.

Allow the shoulder on the opposite side to just drop.

Feel that deep stretch between your neck and your shoulder.

Gently roll it forward and gently and slowly feeling the stretch in your back.

On the other side,

Feel your shoulder drop,

Making that space between the ear nice and elongated.

In a gentle way,

Again,

Rolling your head forward.

We don't want to roll our head backwards because that impacts the spine.

Just bring your head up to a nice straight position.

Now we're going to clench our fists,

Our arms and our shoulders and our whole face,

Just our whole upper body.

Just clench,

Scrunch up the face and hold and hold and then release.

You may want to give your jaw a little massage.

We hold a lot of tension for those who have TMJ.

Your jaw clicks if you grind your teeth all the way up to the ears.

There's a nice little spot right by the ear.

All of those muscles,

Just a nice little massage.

You can open your jaw,

Stretch your tongue.

All of those muscles hold stress and give the space between your forehead,

Right between your eyebrows,

A nice little rub.

Release all of that tension.

Get rid of those worry lines and then bring it around to the temple.

I like to use my knuckles sometimes for that.

It gives a little bit deeper of a relaxation.

Then take a moment and just feel all of those muscles releasing.

Breathing in and out.

We're going to hold our muscles again and we're going to involve our abdominal muscles and our back muscles to hold everything from the waist up in,

Including your face,

Your fist,

Everything,

Hold and release.

Our abdomens and our solar plexus also hold a lot of stress.

For any of my friends here who have digestive issues,

It can all be stress.

When you breathe in next time,

Breathe into your belly.

A lot of times we are taught,

Especially in Western culture,

To hold our stomachs in.

We never let them relax.

Really let it relax.

From the waist up again,

Hold all the muscles,

Tighten them,

Even the face,

Everything,

Your abdominals,

Your back,

Hold,

Hold and release.

We're going to work our way to the pelvic floor.

Believe it or not,

Our hips,

Lower back,

Our pelvic floor all hold stress as well.

Our whole body can physically hold stress.

Let's take this time to release it.

You're going to tighten everything up.

Hold,

Hold,

Hold and release and really let that drop.

Feeling the deep relaxation through your whole body.

Now flowing through the legs and all the way to the feet.

Just tighten the whole body,

Even curl the toes all the way up,

All the muscles tighten.

Hold,

Hold and release.

Feel that deep muscle relaxation.

All that stress releasing,

Stress that you do not need.

You don't need it in your body.

You don't need it in your life.

One last time.

Tighten everything up from your toes to your eyebrows and then release.

Take another deep breath in and release.

Take a few moments just to feel your body.

Anything that has re-tightened up,

Just send it a little love and a little relaxation.

Give your body permission to release that stress it's been holding.

You don't have to hold it.

Any stress or worry that you are holding for somebody else,

Release it.

It is not yours.

Breathing in and out.

I want you to picture yourself in the most beautiful,

Relaxing place you've ever seen.

This could be right in your own home or maybe on your favorite beach.

Maybe you're laying in the grass sun gazing,

Looking at the clouds rolling by.

Does it matter where you are?

Just picture yourself in your private meditation space.

This space is just for you.

This space is yours.

This is yours to come to anytime you wish to meditate.

Feel the breeze on your skin.

Take in your surroundings and relax into it.

With each breath,

You relax deeper into that space wherever it is you're lying or sitting.

You release deeper and deeper into that space.

As your body relaxes,

As your mind relaxes,

Picture one thing that stresses you and place it into a little tiny bubble.

As that bubble floats off and away from you,

Feel your mind and your heart begin to lighten and feel peace.

Repeat this for everything that stresses you.

It's work.

Picture the word work in a little bubble.

Send it away to be cleansed,

Be healed.

Picture yourself in a peaceful workspace.

If there's a relationship that's causing you stress,

Picture that relationship in a bubble.

Send it off to be cleansed and see that relationship healing,

Being at ease and at peace.

If there's any pain that you've been experiencing,

Place that pain into a little bubble.

Send that pain off,

Be healed,

Cleansed by the universe.

Picture yourself healed.

Continue this for anything else that pops into your mind that's a source of stress or anxiety.

It may be one or two bubbles you send up or it may look like a glass of champagne.

Lots of tiny little bubbles floating away from you.

With each bubble you get lighter and lighter,

Feeling weightless.

Almost as if you're floating on a feather,

Gently moving in a breeze.

It may even feel as if you're on a boat,

Gently going back and forth the waves.

Whatever image pops up into your mind is the one that you should focus on,

As long as it's relaxing and peaceful.

If another worry comes in,

Just send it into a bubble,

Let it release.

See yourself going with the flow,

Again either floating on a feather in the air,

Gently back and forth the way the feather moves,

Or on a boat or float in the water,

Feeling the ebb and flow,

Gentle,

Easy,

The cool air surrounding you,

Being fully supported,

Cradled,

Caring for your body and your mind,

Allowing yourself this time to just relax.

It doesn't look like the bit of water's burned.

It's invisible.

It's little screams,

It's the Feeling the deep relaxation in your body,

Combined with the relaxation of your mind.

Many thoughts have floated just with knowledge and peace.

Being in the moment and present,

Giving that gift to yourself.

Letting go of any to-do lists they can make.

You can still be there.

Right now you are the most important person.

Caring for your whole self is important.

Giving yourself that love and that care.

That relaxation.

Releasing any tension that may creep up into your body.

Feeling it all melt.

You'll find that as you release,

That those little bubbles become fewer and fewer.

As you become lighter and lighter.

Me releasing any tension that may creep up.

Doing a tension check,

Releasing tension in your head,

Your neck,

Your shoulders,

Your chest and abdomen.

Your arms and hands.

Your lower back.

Your pelvic floor.

The thighs and knees and calves.

Your feet.

Even the spaces between your fingers and toes.

Re-release any tension.

Slowly picture yourself laying on a warm beach.

Soft,

Cool towel under you.

The warm sun bathing you.

Hearing the sounds of the ocean in the background.

Feeling delicious in this moment.

The sound of the water and the wind.

Feeling the cool towel in the warm sun.

Bringing everything perfectly into balance.

Continuing to check your body,

Re-releasing that tension.

Releasing any stressful thoughts.

This moment is all yours.

As you lay on the beach.

Take a moment to visualize how you'd like the next week to go.

Areas in your life that you want to be peaceful and smooth.

Visualize that smoothness.

Visualize that peacefulness in all areas of your life,

Not just one.

Seeing relationships.

Work in harmony.

Peaceful,

Joyful,

Loving conversations.

Loving interactions.

Feeling the love and care emanating from yourself and all of those who interact with you.

Picturing your work going smoothly and peacefully.

Prosperously.

With new interactions.

Flourishing abundance.

Everything working in harmony.

Feeling your body and health improving day by day.

Feeling an optimal health.

Taking a moment to visualize all of that.

With the week to come.

Stretching it out even further.

Knowing that while you are in this space,

You can take time to create peace within.

That like a stone in the water will ripple out and affect all around you.

But as you care and give yourself time,

That energy that you give to yourself,

That you're giving to yourself now,

Is a gift that will ripple out to all those that you touch and all those that surround you.

And going back and relaxing any muscles that may have tensed up.

Paying attention to your body's needs.

Just like we feed ourselves around we rest when we're tired.

Relaxing is just as important,

Just as necessary.

Allowing your mind,

Your body,

Your spirit to relax.

To release the stress that you hold for yourself and others is so important.

Feeling that warmth and relaxation from the inside out.

Feeling the rhythm of your own breath.

Following your breath in through your nose.

See the journey it takes as it travels throughout your body.

Focusing on the cycle of your breath.

Breathing in and out.

Breathing into those tense muscles and allowing them to release.

Breathing into the stressful thoughts and allowing them to release.

Showing yourself love on every level.

Impacts not only you,

But all those who surround you.

Feeling quiet within.

Knowing that you can take this moment with you and bring yourself back into this space anytime.

Knowing that you can give yourself this moment.

Knowing that you can give yourself this moment anytime in the future.

Releasing into the quiet.

Into the balance.

Breathing in and out.

Slowly,

You allow yourself to feel your body again.

Slowly coming back.

Feeling awareness.

All the while keeping that sense of peace and tranquility.

Figgling your fingers and your toes.

Breathing in and out.

Your breath slowly coming back to normal.

Taking a nice deep breath.

Feeling your body.

Feeling that relaxation.

And when you're ready,

You can open your eyes.

If you'd like to stay in that beautiful,

Calm space,

You can.

I want to thank all of you for joining.

And I hope that you have a beautiful,

Peaceful,

Wonderful week.