Hi,
This is Lorraine.
Today our practice is all about noticing and relieving stress.
Stress isn't a problem.
In fact it can be motivating and actually a good thing to create change and action.
However,
Stress becomes challenging when there is too much,
When it gets in the way of actually allowing us to be effective,
And when we're holding too much physical tension in our bodies.
And so we'll just play with being aware of stress,
Moving toward it and with it,
And ultimately finding some tools that bring some relief.
So let's get started.
Give yourself some room to get settled in a posture that feels steady.
So you can lay on your back with your feet on the mat,
Knees to the sky,
Or you can sit upright and get good and grounded.
And once you've chosen your posture,
Take some subtle movements that just allow you to shift.
If you're seated and upright,
You can shift a little from side to side.
Maybe it feels good to move your head.
And we begin by allowing that movement to bring some steadiness.
Your eyes can close or simply focus and rest.
You start just by relieving some of the physical tension by taking a simple breath that you hear and that you feel.
That will naturally help you to down-regulate and shift into a place of being present.
Stress generally is generated by your mind being in the past or moving too far in the future.
And so if there's no stress in the present,
Try and bring yourself to that place,
Taking another full breath.
And really feel the exhale.
And little by little,
You come into the present moment.
You can move your eyeballs behind closed eyelids.
You can try to relax your jaw and soften the muscles of your face.
Working with the premise that stress isn't bad and neither is tension,
Let's draw our energy and attention toward both,
Beginning with your hands.
Bring some attention to your hands and then squeeze them so tight,
Squeezing,
Squeezing and actually feeling that clenching energy of squeezed tight hands into fists.
Maybe squeeze a little bit tighter.
Take a breath in and then relax your hands on the breath out.
So you notice the energy dissipating.
You can allow your hands to move in subtle ways or even rest.
Try to keep some attention on your breath,
The aftermath of squeezing and releasing.
And we'll do that again.
Bring some awareness to your shoulders.
And bring them up toward your ears.
Maybe you feel them scrunch in,
Lift them up,
Squeeze,
Feel muscle tension,
Squeeze right into it.
Take an inhale,
Exhale,
Let it release.
The shoulders draw back down,
Lungs empty,
You settle.
You can take little subtle movements with your head.
Notice the aftermath of that squeeze and release.
And we'll bring that same attention to the muscles of your legs,
Your glutes,
Anything that you can feel with that sensation of squeezing,
Squeezing,
Squeezing.
If you can't feel your legs and your glutes,
Squeeze tight,
Add the squeeze of your hands.
Contract,
Squeeze,
Really draw energy and tension to the surface and then exhale and let it go.
Feel the relief and hopefully the release.
Take a breath.
And we'll do that one more time with your feet,
Your legs,
Anything else you'd like to squeeze,
Any tension that you'd like to go right toward.
So feel if your feet are in shoes,
Maybe it's a little curling of your toes.
Can you feel a little contraction?
Really squeeze,
Squeeze,
Squeeze.
If you can't feel it in your feet,
Squeeze your legs again,
Squeeze your hands again.
Let everything contract in a way that you notice and then just let it go.
You can take any subtle movements that help you to realize the tension has released.
Keep a connection to your breath,
Especially your exhale.
As if the stress that we stirred up and moved into really can release with every out breath.
And now that you've been made aware of the stress and the tension that lives in your body,
You don't have to fear it.
You know that there are ways for it to relax and let go.
Staying in this meditation,
You make space for all things as they are.
So you have enough time,
Enough energy,
And there's no limit.
And in that spaciousness,
There's a sense of reassurance,
Which is also something that helps to alleviate stress.
So keep creating space by taking a full inhale and feeling the emptiness,
Emptying of your exhale.
Just like your body knows how to breathe,
You know how to settle.
And when it feels like tension and stress rise,
You take a breath coming back to what's right in front of you,
Knowing that you can handle it and you're more effective in handling it when you're focused,
Present,
And calm.
So keep using your breath as reassurance that you've got this.
That with steady attention and deliberate action,
Things will be just fine.
Inhale,
Feel the relief of an exhale.
And we'll use a few rounds of breath to really relieve any stress that's still lingering.
Breathe in through your nose,
Feel yourself expand and fill up a little bit more.
Exhale it out through your mouth.
And there may be an audible sigh of relief.
Two more.
In through your nose,
Feel yourself fill up and expand.
Exhale it out.
One more breath in,
Expand,
Let it go.
Your breath finds its natural rhythm.
You can feel that you're good at letting things get easier.
You're more effective with less worry,
Fear,
And stress because you have got this.
Let that reassuring rhythm of your breath stay with you.
Let the wisdom of this practice also stay with you.
Thank you for your time and be well.
