5-Minute Stress Relief Meditation

This meditation will help you find a sense of calm, ease and presence. Use this practice any time you're feeling stressed, ungrounded or not able to connect to the present moment - 5 soothing minutes of breath awareness to bring you back to yourself - using a practice called 1:2 ratio breath to help shift you into the 'rest & digest' part of your nervous system.

Ideal for before a meeting, before or after a tough conversation, after a long day at the office or just when you need to reconnect.

Photo Credit: Emma Orlando

Transcript

Welcome to this five-minute stress relief meditation.

This meditation will help you find a sense of calm,

Ease and presence.

Come to sit with your spine long or supported by a chair.

If you're sitting in a chair make sure that your feet are grounded on the earth.

Let your hands rest in your lap and begin to take a slow breath in through the nose and release that breath slowly out through the mouth.

Begin to close the eyes if you feel safe to do so.

A slow breath in through the nose,

A slow breath out through the mouth,

A slow breath in through the nose,

Slow breath out through the mouth.

A few more breaths like that.

In through the nose,

Out through the mouth.

Perhaps sigh the exhale away.

In through the nose,

Out through the mouth.

Release tension with each exhale.

Soften.

Let go.

Allow yourself to relax.

Begin to breathe naturally now.

A smooth steady breath in through the nose and out through the nose.

Tune into the feeling of the breath at the tip of the nose.

We're going to count the breath now.

Breathing in for three and out for six.

On your next exhale breathe out fully.

Inhale 1 2 3.

Exhale 1 2 3 4 5 6.

Inhale 1 2 3.

Exhale 1 2 3 4 5 6.

Inhale 1 2 3.

Exhale 1 2 3 4 5 6.

Inhale 1 2 3.

Exhale 1 2 3 4 5 6.

Inhale 1 2 3.

Exhale 1 2 3 4 6.

Release any control over the breath now.

Take a few smooth steady breaths in through the nose and out through the nose.

Tune into the sense of calm that you've created.

Know that you can come back to this feeling at any time.

Whenever you feel ready to begin to open the eyes and carry this sense of ease with you throughout your day.

Reviews

A nice, calming meditation for midday. Thanks for your light!