Hello and welcome.
This meditation is designed for people who experience social anxiety.
I am delighted to guide you on this wonderful relaxing experience to learn and grow.
Get into a very comfortable position and make sure you will not be disturbed for the duration of this session.
Take one big deep breath in and relax further into your position.
It is important to note that people who have high self-compassion experience less social anxiety.
Breathing isn't only useful in social situations but can be practiced at any time,
Especially when experiencing social anxiety or shame.
Let's become aware of your breathing for a moment.
You may have taken a breath as soon as your focus went here but try not to alter your breathing pattern.
Slowly watch it move in and out of your body,
Expanding and contracting your belly and lungs at the same time.
Continue focusing on your breath,
Noticing the details of breathing,
Such as feeling the air coming into your nose versus going out of your nose.
The more you focus on your breath,
The more relaxed and calm you become.
Good.
Let's relax even further by becoming aware of your body now and feel a gentle wave of relaxation sweeping over you.
Notice how your body feels when you pay attention and really feel this wave of relaxation you deserve to feel.
This makes you even more relaxed,
Calm and clear.
Allow your arms to fall to either side,
Whatever way is comfortable,
And become aware of how light your arms feel.
When you become aware of a lightness in your arms,
They fill you with gentle relaxation.
This relaxation grows the more you concentrate on it.
Now focus only on your hands,
Feeling everything about your hands.
Notice the texture of what they are touching.
Let a relaxing feeling of warmth begin to grow in your hands.
Feeling the more you focus on this warmth,
The more it grows.
Let this relaxing sensation intensify,
Making your hands extremely relaxed.
Let this relaxation expand and grow,
Slowly traveling up your arms,
Releasing any tension along the way.
This warm feeling is so calming and soothing that you welcome it.
Become aware of your toes and how they feel right now.
Feel the sensations in each individual toe,
One by one.
Notice how that warm sensation can be felt in your toes as soon as you become aware of it.
Let this relaxing feeling grow and expand.
Imagine your feet are soaking in a gentle foot bath filled with natural herbs floating in the water.
You see colorful petals and green leaves in this foot bath.
It is so relaxing on your feet.
Let the sensation of the warm and calm foot bath travel up your legs and to your knees,
Over your thighs.
Feeling any tension along the way.
Now imagine this warm,
Relaxing sensation is beginning to grow at your navel area where you were once connected to your mother.
It is gentle and soft and very relaxing.
Allow this gentle feeling to expand out and grow to cover your entire abdomen with relaxation.
You are now deeply relaxed yet profoundly aware.
Simply allow the words I speak to go deep within your mind to be used for the goodness of self advancement.
Now let's explore self compassion.
It is important to extend compassion to others but equally important to extend it to yourself especially during times of heightened anxiety or stress.
So place your hands over your heart and ask yourself now,
How can I love you better dear heart and allow a deep sense of inner knowing to rise in you.
You can rest your arms by your sides now.
It would be delightful if you practice this simple technique the moment you feel stressed.
Give a pause in a moment of stillness for your body and mind to understand you are allowing it space for clarity to shine through.
Breathe deeply now inhaling goodness and exhale into relaxation.
Take one more deep compassionate breath.
Nice.
Now become aware of the tendency to judge yourself harshly or become highly self critical about your struggle with social anxiety.
Bring these feelings into your full awareness right now.
Good.
Now place your hands over your heart and say to yourself,
I notice I am suffering so I respond with kindness to these self judgements and take a deep breath in.
Then let it go,
Feeling relaxation come over you.
Allow your arms to rest by your sides again.
Let's take some more deep breaths now and with each breath you take allow yourself to grow more and more deeply relaxed.
Opening yourself up for change.
Breathe in deeply and breathe out.
Breathe in fully expanding and let go.
Another deep breath in and exhale,
Feeling relaxation sweep over you.
And one more deep breath in.
Find your body,
Feeling relaxation grow within you.
And let the breath fall away effortlessly.
Good.
Now hear yourself saying these positive affirmations taking a compassionate breath in between each.
The next time I feel anxiety I react with compassion.
Breathe.
Self compassion is not a form of self pity.
Breathe.
I am patient with myself when growing and nurturing self compassion.
Breathe.
The next time I feel fear I react with compassion.
Breathe.
I trust that treating myself with compassion improves my current situation.
Breathe.
The next time I feel embarrassment I react with compassion.
Breathe.
The more love I give to myself the more love I experience in my life.
One last good breath in.
Very good.
You have done very powerful work here today in this meditation and have learned techniques that will last you a lifetime.
Whenever you are ready gently return your awareness to the present moment.
Feeling refreshed,
Rejuvenated,
Filled with self compassion and ready for social interaction.
