This guided meditation will focus on helping you settle your stress and find a calmer,
More focused mind.
It can take less than a minute to feel stress.
There are endless catalysts that can instantly transform our mind state from perfectly well to stressed out.
And when we're stressed,
We become unfocused,
Unproductive,
And generally exhausted.
So it's important to know how to settle the mind quickly so you can return to your day with more focus,
Ease,
And a calmer state of being.
Please begin by taking a comfortable seat with your spine tall and your eyes softly closed.
You can place your hands comfortably in your lap and start to become aware of your breathing.
Take this first moment to arrive here fully in this moment.
Now take a moment to notice how you feel.
Do you notice any stress in your mind or body?
Can you identify any areas of tension?
Is your energy high or low?
Is anything occupying your mind?
Let's take a couple of cleansing breaths to let go of anything that's causing you stress or tension.
Take a big inhale through your nose,
Pause at the top,
And then open your mouth and release the breath with a sigh,
Letting go of anything that may have been part of your day so far,
Your week,
Anything occupying your mind.
And again,
Inhale fully through the nose,
Completely filling the lungs.
Pause at the top and let it out through the mouth.
With your next inhale,
Find a little extra length in your spine by reaching the crown of your head up to the sky.
Find a little more openness in your heart by lifting your shoulders up,
Back,
And down,
Allowing your heart to come forward.
You find softness in your face by relaxing the muscles in your jaw.
Now we'll take a two-part in-breath,
Inhaling to first expand your belly,
Then expand your heart all the way to the collarbone.
Take a brief pause at the top and then exhale through the mouth.
Twice more,
Inhale in two parts,
Fully expand your belly,
Then fill your heart and chest.
Pause with lungs full,
Then let it out with a sigh.
Once more,
Inhale,
Expanding belly and heart,
And big exhale through the mouth.
Now close your mouth and keep the two-part nature of the in-breath.
Pause at the top of the inhale and then exhale through your nose on a slow count of five,
Taking all five counts to empty your lungs.
Briefly pause at the bottom.
Again inhale to fully expand your belly and heart.
Pause with lungs full,
Then exhale slowly on a count of five.
There's no need to rush to the next breath.
Continue breathing at this pace on your own,
Inhaling in two parts and exhaling on a slow count of five.
Really exaggerate the exhale.
Our outward breath is neurologically tied to the relaxation response in the brain.
That's why we sigh when we're relieved.
So as you focus your attention on mindful breathing,
Place that emphasis on the exhale.
Continue at a slow,
Steady pace,
Noticing the expansive nature of your inhale.
And with each long exhalation,
Focus on leaving something behind.
If there are specific thoughts or worries that are lingering or causing stress,
On your exhale,
Imagine them sinking into the chair or earth or cushion beneath you,
Leaving your body and leaving the space around you.
Now visualize the breath as bright white light inside of you,
Starting at the base of your spine.
And with your inhale,
Watch as it rises up the spine,
Swirls around your heart,
And reaches its peak at the top.
And keep watching as it releases,
Trailing down past the heart,
Into the abdomen,
Winding all the way down the spine to the point of empty.
With each inhale,
Picture that bright white light rising from the base of your spine,
Slowly,
All the way up to the crown of your head.
And with each exhale,
Watching the breath wind down and release.
Imagine a watchful eye on your breath as you watch it travel up and down the spine,
Heightening your focus at the top and at the bottom.
When you feel your mind wander to another place,
Just gently invite it back to focus on your breath.
Allow your breath to lead and your mind to follow.
Keep your focus on your breath,
Watching as it moves up and down,
In and out.
And with each exhale,
Imagine a watchful eye on your breath as you watch it travel up and down the spine,
Lengthening your focus at the top and at the bottom.
Keep your eyes closed and take a moment to just notice how you feel.
Make a couple of mental observations about how your body feels and how your mind feels after a short period of stillness.
Whenever you're ready,
Without any rush in your mind or your body,
You can slowly open your eyes.
Take as much time as you need here to come out of meditation.
