Welcome to this meditation for stress release.
This is a three-part meditation series to lean into whenever you need it.
Welcome to number three.
My name is Jenny Berlin Castro and I'm so glad you found your way here again.
So as mentioned there's scientific proof that meditating is so good for us humans.
And as a reminder we get a slower and deeper breathing.
We lower our heart rate and blood pressure.
We suppress our stress hormones and we ease inflammation in the body.
We get a heightened immunity.
We sleep better.
We have more patience.
We stay more focused and we make better decisions.
And another reminder is that we don't expect the mind to be empty during meditation.
Thoughts will pop up and when they do we notice them,
We thank them and we let them pass like clouds in the sky.
And if they come back that's fine.
We all have to-do lists,
We all have thoughts from the day and for tomorrow.
But there's no wrong or right in meditation.
You just see your thought,
You notice it and you bring your attention to your breath.
You're welcome.
So now let's go ahead and find a comfortable position.
You can sit or lay down.
You can have a pillow behind your back or on your lap.
Rest your hands in a comfortable position on your knees or on a pillow.
And as you know I like to put my right hand in my left facing up.
Let's go ahead and close our eyes.
Take a couple of deep breaths here just to land in the room.
Breathe in and out through your nose at your own pace.
And try to deepen the breath with each in breath and out breath.
Good job.
And we'll start this meditation with a short box breathing exercise to provide a bit of a pattern interrupt for the mind and to quickly get us into the present moment.
You know how this goes.
We'll breathe in on a count of four,
Then hold our breath for four,
Exhale for four and hold for four.
We'll do this three times.
So take a deep breath in and out first to prepare.
And let's begin.
Breathe in,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathe in,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Last one.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Good job.
Now let's breathe normally in and out through the nose.
Notice how the breath feels in your body.
Cold air entering your nostrils.
The sound in your ears.
The feeling in your throat.
The rise and fall of your chest.
All those tensions releasing in your belly.
The warm air leaving your nose with the exhale.
Feel the body against the surface you're sitting on.
Notice the earth supporting your body,
Holding you up.
Feel the cool air on your skin.
Notice how the air is surrounding your whole body,
Keeping you in place exactly where you're supposed to be in this very moment.
Connecting you to everything around you like the ocean holds you at sea.
We breathe in and notice our in-breath.
We breathe out and notice our out-breath.
Every time your mind wanders away to thoughts,
Then remember to bring your focus back to your breathing and the sensations in your body.
This will help you ease the chatter.
Be gentle.
You don't do anything right or wrong in meditation.
Just bring your focus back to your breath and the sensations in your body.
Notice the blood now flowing through your body.
A tingling sensation in your feet and hands and face.
Communicating that you are alive in this amazing thing called the body.
From the top of your head to the bottom of your feet now.
Let's relax even more.
Top of the head,
Relax and let go of any tension.
Forehead,
Relax.
Face and the back of the head,
Melt down.
Cheeks,
Relax.
Jaw,
Let go.
Neck and shoulders,
Melt down.
Arms,
Feel heavy on your body or on the floor.
Chest and belly,
Both relax with each in and out breath.
Hips and base,
Let go.
Legs and feet,
Heavy against the floor.
What do you want to call into your life right now?
Let's set an intention for the day.
This can be big or small.
Perhaps some peace and quiet,
Clarity on a specific issue,
A new direction in life or a deeper connection to the wisdom that resides in you.
You decide what you want to call in.
You can phrase your intention quietly in your heart,
Like a seed planted in the soil.
And if no clear intention arises,
Then just smile and know that all is well.
You might be more content than you think on the inside.
Once the intention is there,
Water it with a deep breath,
Then let it go and leave it up to the universe to sort out all the details and trust its fruition.
Now let's sit quietly together and I invite the mantra Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti to repeat quietly within.
This mantra may be faster at times and slower at times.
Just remember to return to the mantra when the thoughts start wandering.
See if it helps you focus.
You can also use your breath for this reason.
We'll sit for a few minutes and I will bring you back with the sound of my voice.
Continue on the inside.
Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti Bring your attention back to your breath.
Let go of the mantra.
If you're laying down,
You can sit up and put your hands in prayer pose in front of your chest.
Just keep them on your lap.
Lower your chin as if bowing to yourself and give thanks to yourself for taking this time to focus on your own well-being.
When we go inside,
We connect deeper with our inner selves,
Our inner truth and innate wisdom.
You can always come back here when the outside world gets too overwhelming.
Inside is a place of ease,
Of quality,
Of strength.
This is where you always shine and where we're all the same.
When you're ready,
You can slowly start moving your hands and feet and blink your eyes open.
Thank you for joining me today.
I'm Jenny Berglin Castro and I'm so grateful for your commitment to yourself.
Remember,
One breath at a time.
I will see you back here soon.
Namaste.
