Hi,
My name is Joy Koneska with Live Joyfully Well.
April is Stress Awareness Month.
So with this in mind,
We're going to do a stress reduction meditation.
You're going to want to find a safe and comfortable place where you can have a straight spine.
A straight spine will allow you to breathe with ease.
If lying down is more comfortable for you,
That works too.
I invite you to either close your eyes or you can softly gaze over the tip of your nose and just adjust the sound of my voice to an appropriate level for you.
Know that your mind may wander and that's completely normal.
So just come back to the breath and to the connection of this moment when that happens.
I'm just a loose guide in your practice so you can always guide yourself as you need.
Now before we really get started,
Just a brief talk here about stress.
Even though we tend to label stress as bad,
There is actually good stress as well.
Like think when you're excited or joyful or inspired.
Those are good stressors.
They lift you up.
Then there's a level of stressors like when you're out of your comfort zone.
When you're learning something new,
Being around new people,
Going to a new job,
Things like that.
Then there's the really heavy stressors like a stressful job or an unhappy relationship.
These things can create feelings of anxiety,
Negativity,
And what we really know and label as stress.
Now I want to be clear that meditation can give you some tools to reduce this type of stress.
But if you're using meditation as a replacement to seeking professional help,
Just know I'm not a doctor or a professional psychologist.
So if you feel like you are in need of professional guidance,
I strongly encourage you to talk with your doctor.
Know that life is a journey of experiences and these experiences create stress,
Both what we tend to call good and bad.
But what if we changed our perception of these good and bad labels?
Ask yourself,
Is my perception of my stress accurate?
Now I do hope this meditation can help you to cultivate whatever it is you're looking for.
And also know that not every meditation is going to give you exactly what you need,
But every time you practice,
You are helping plant seeds of your intention.
And you can practice recognizing your seeds of intention.
And that's how you water and nurture those seeds to grow.
So with all of this in mind,
Let's get started.
Your eyes are closed or soft gaze and with your mind's eye,
Take your awareness to your breath.
Breathe in and say to yourself,
The breath is flowing in.
Without say the breath is flowing out.
That breath flows like a wave in and out of the body.
The breath is soothing.
The soothing breath saturates the body and helps the body to soften and let go.
Now set your intention for this practice today.
Maybe it's an I am or an I will statement.
For example,
I am relaxed or I will let go of tension.
Now set your intention now.
Back to the flow of breath in and out.
Feel the top of your head relax.
The muscles of your forehead relax.
The eyelids soften and the eyes relax.
The cheeks soften.
The jaw relaxes,
The tongue relaxes and the lips.
Breathe and feel your whole face and scalp relax.
The brain sinks into its skull.
Feel that flow of breath in and out.
Hide the waves of your breath.
Notice how you feel in your body and your mind.
And revisit your intention.
Say it a few times to yourself with your flow of breath.
Now take a deep breath in and a long breath out.
Feeling yourself let go of anything else you are holding.
And visualize creating space for any residue of sensation in your body and in your mind.
Imagine an energy of compassion and kindness comforting you.
Breathe with ease.
Say your intention one more time.
Come back into your body and back into the space that you're in.
Place your hands over your heart.
Take another deep breath in and a long breath out.
I hope you go into the rest of your day feeling that energy of compassion and kindness.
My name is Joy Koneska.
Live joyfully well my friend.
