Thank you for joining me for this practice today.
I'm really glad you're here with me.
And this is all about the worry that can just get in the way.
The worry that can stop us from focusing,
Getting on with our work.
The worry that can stop us from really connecting with people because when they're talking our mind is just somewhere else worrying.
The worry that can make us feel not quite right in our bodies,
In our minds,
That feeling that something is just off,
Not quite right.
Worry that can stop us feeling present,
Able to enjoy our lives,
Able to let go,
That worry that really stops a sense of feeling carefree.
And this short practice is designed to help you to come back to now because the present moment,
The now,
Is all that there really is,
All we can really control.
And so all you need to know as we move into this practice is that right now in this moment while we practice together everything is okay.
You're here,
You've chosen to take this time for yourself,
You're safe,
All is well.
So before we get started it's really important that you are comfortable,
Whatever that means for you.
So I'm going to be sitting upright,
Sitting on a soft chair,
And I'd encourage you if you're sitting to sit upright but not too rigid.
This isn't about having to have a particular posture,
But it's about sitting with a sense of gentle control,
So a posture that feels grounded but not rigid.
So back upright,
Shoulders dropping a little,
Feet resting on the ground,
And of course if you're in pain and you need to lie down or if it's late at night when you're doing this practice that's totally fine.
So let's get started.
Gently closing your eyes down,
If that feels okay.
If you prefer to keep the eyes open I'd encourage you to lower your gaze to the floor.
And just allowing everything to settle.
Just allowing yourself to come into your body and notice how it feels to be connected to the surface beneath you,
Be it a chair,
A floor,
A bed,
And just seeing if you can allow yourself to sink into that surface a little more.
Can you allow your body to let go just a little,
Whatever that means for you.
Allowing the shoulders to drop,
The legs to sink in a little deeper to wherever they're resting.
So that there's a real settling and an easing and a letting go of the body as you move into practice.
And now connecting in with the feet,
Resting on the ground,
However they're resting,
Whether you're lying or sitting,
Just noticing the feet,
Giving them all your attention.
How do your feet feel?
Noticing that point of connection with the surface beneath them and just being curious.
Noticing any sensations in the feet,
Maybe tingling or pulsing.
Maybe the feet are feeling warm or cool or nothing at all.
Just connecting in with the feeling of the feet in this moment.
And if your mind's wondering as we do this,
Just knowing that that's okay and that our practice is just to notice,
To notice the mind wondering.
It's what our minds do,
There's nothing wrong with you.
And just gently bringing the attention back to the body resting here,
Feet on the ground.
By bringing this focus,
This awareness to our bodies at times of worry,
It can really help us to move out of our busy minds,
Out of a circle,
A loop of worry,
And find a place of safety in our bodies.
And whatever you're worrying about right now,
Whether it's very big or maybe something smaller,
It's important to remember that our worries are about a future or a past.
They're a story we're telling ourselves.
And the more that we allow ourselves to follow that worry,
Give it space in your head,
The more that worry will grow.
Worries rarely get fixed.
Worries rarely disappear when we think about them.
Worries grow when we give them oxygen.
They grow,
They get more potent,
And they can bring us more discomfort and pain.
And so this practice is really about learning to remove some of the oxygen from the worry by moving our attention back into the present moment.
So if now you're fixating in a loop of negative thought,
I want you to first know that that's totally normal,
And it's a habit that we can break through simple focus on the now.
So what I'd invite you to do is to find a place in your body that feels safe and secure.
Normally that's somewhere that's neutral,
Somewhere that's not in pain,
That feels easy.
I'll be using my hands.
So just take a moment to think about a place in your body that feels neutral,
Safe,
Soft,
And grounding.
There's no right or wrong.
Often the first place that comes up is the right one.
And now bringing your awareness to this place in the body,
Give it all your attention.
Be really curious about how this place in the body feels right now,
And use it as an anchor.
So if your mind is really scattered and distracted,
As it often is when we're worried,
Just notice that,
And bring it gently back to this place in the body that feels okay,
That feels grounding.
And just really allow yourself to make that shift again and again and again.
Your mind is very powerful,
It will keep trying to wander off into the worry.
That's a path it's taken many times,
It's the easy path to take.
And what this practice is teaching you is that there's another path that you can choose.
So just gently,
Gently,
Lulling and persuading the mind to move its focus to this place in your body that feels safe and secure.
Noticing any sensations in this area,
Maybe you can notice the temperature of this place,
Heat or cold.
What's the texture like of this area of the body?
Is it hard or soft?
Is it rough or smooth?
Is there tingling or pulsing?
Just being really curious about how this place,
This anchor feels right now.
And noticing how there's a path back to this anchor whenever you need it.
Whenever you're wandering off in worry,
As we all do,
You can gently carve a different path back to this place of safety,
This anchor in the body.
So just practicing that for a moment,
Knowing that you can begin this practice again whenever you need,
And being gentle with yourself every time the mind wanders off into worry.
This isn't meant to be easy,
But I promise you that with practice it can be profoundly empowering,
Profoundly healing.
And as you focus on this anchor,
This place in the body,
Just taking a moment to appreciate it,
Perhaps in a way you haven't before.
Appreciating its texture,
Its role,
The grounding that it's giving you right now.
So you're just expressing a little gratitude for this place,
This place of refuge,
This anchor.
It's always here.
And I want you to know that whenever you wander off into worry,
That there is this new path that you can take.
This place back to your anchor,
Your chosen anchor.
This place of safety in the present moment in your body.
This place in the now.
And as we move towards the end of this practice,
Just taking a moment to just place your attention back there for a moment,
Back in this anchor.
And noticing how it feels to give this place your attention.
Is anything opening up in you?
Has anything shifted in your mind or in your body in this short practice?
And if it has,
Just really sealing in any of the benefits.
So just taking your time,
No rush.
And when you feel ready,
Just gently wiggling the fingers,
Wiggling the toes,
And when you feel ready,
Opening the eyes,
Coming back into the room and just again noticing how you're feeling and trying not to judge this practice as good or bad,
But knowing that you've learned something that can be truly healing,
Really powerful when you're finding that worry is taking over your day and making it hard to enjoy your life.
So I really hope you found this practice helpful.
Thank you for being with me.
And do take a look at some of my other meditations if you are looking for some help with anxiety or stress.
There's a few to choose from,
And I really hope to see you again soon.
Take care.
