So let's begin by just giving yourself permission to pause,
To set everything down and just be and breathe right here.
Allow your body to settle,
Making any little movements or adjustments you may need,
Closing the eyes or just softening the gaze.
Just take a moment to gently name how you're feeling right now.
Maybe it's overwhelmed,
Tired,
Frazzled,
Something else.
Just name it without judgment,
Without trying to fix it,
But just recognizing this is what is here right now.
Bring a hand to your heart and just feel your body beneath your palm.
Notice the warmth and weight of your hand resting on your chest.
And feel that warmth begin to spread.
Allow that warmth to be a gentle reminder that you're safe,
You're here,
And that it's okay to soften and breathe for a few moments.
And together,
Let's take one big breath in and an even longer and slower breath out.
Doing that again,
A big breath in and a long,
Full breath out,
Allowing that exhale to be as if you're releasing a little bit of pressure from your body and your mind.
And just continuing to breathe low and slow,
Knowing there's no rush,
There's no need to force the breath.
And as you breathe,
Notice how the body responds to the longer exhales.
This deep,
Intentional breath can be a message to your nervous system that you're safe and it's okay to slow down.
And now we're going to do three more breaths together,
But these will be a little bit different.
It's a breath called the physiological sigh.
It helps to activate your vagus nerve and calm the body quickly.
So to do this together,
You'll begin by exhaling all of the air out of your lungs,
And then take a slow inhale through your nose.
Pause when you're full of breath,
Then sip in a little bit more air,
And then open your mouth and let a long exhale out of your mouth,
Letting it be audible if you can,
Really letting the jaw and throat be relaxed as you breathe out through that mouth.
And we'll do this again.
This time,
If you'd like,
You can take your hands and gently rub or tap lightly in front of and behind your ears while you breathe.
And doing this again,
A slow inhale through the nose,
When you're all the way full,
Sip in a little more air,
And then a long,
Easy breath through the mouth,
Letting it all go,
Making noise if you can,
Continuing that light rubbing or tapping in front of and behind the ears as you do this one final time.
A big,
Deep breath in,
A tiny bit more breath,
Open mouth,
Exhale,
Releasing,
Letting it all go,
Allowing your hands to float down,
Maybe rest by your sides or in your lap,
And just find that effortless rhythm of breath,
Noticing how your body begins to respond.
Maybe your thoughts are slowing down,
Your body is softening,
Perhaps your breath is a little bit easier now,
A little lower and slower,
And just stay right here.
Let your body respond to the breath,
Maybe noticing the grip softening,
Being present with your body as you breathe,
And notice if there's any place that you're clenching or gripping,
Maybe it's your jaw,
Your shoulders,
Your belly,
Or even your hands,
And instead of forcing them to relax,
Invite them to soften,
Even just by 1%,
The tiniest little bit of softening,
Like ice that's just beginning to melt under the sun.
Any area of tension,
Invite it to soften even 1%,
And if the mind wanders,
Or those feelings of overwhelm creep back in,
That's ok,
Just let your breath be your anchor,
Return to the breath,
Slow,
Low,
And steady.
Now notice whatever feeling is here with you now,
Whatever you're feeling in this moment,
You can name it,
Maybe it's stress,
Anxiety,
Overwhelm,
Whatever is here,
That's ok,
But name whatever you're feeling as you inhale,
And as you exhale,
Think to yourself,
Release.
Inhale,
Name the feeling,
And exhale,
Release.
Inhale,
Name the feeling,
And exhale,
Release.
And now tell yourself 3 times,
Everything will be ok,
And feel what changes in your body as you say it.
Allow your breath to be your anchor,
Knowing that everything will be ok,
And this too is only temporary.
And together we'll take a big deep breath in through the nose,
Open mouth exhale,
Let it all out.
One more time.
And when you're ready,
Gently bring yourself back to your body and to the space,
Opening up your eyes,
And closing your meditation practice.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
