Stress Less Meditation

Deeply relaxing, stress diffusing meditation introducing so hum mantra. Escape from troubling thoughts and find your inner retreat. Suitable for all levels.

Transcript

Please find a comfortable chair and move your sitting posture until your back feels supported and allow your stomach to feel soft and relaxed.

You can lie down if you prefer.

When you feel comfortable please close your eyes.

For the next few minutes I want to take you on a holiday away from your busy minds and any troubling thoughts to a peaceful place within your inner retreat.

Let's start by taking some long and deep breaths.

As you inhale feel your chest and abdomen expanding with the breath and as you exhale notice it contracting.

Breathe in through the nose and exhale through the mouth making an R sound as you release the breath.

As your mind naturally drifts to your thoughts and that which is consuming you right now gently bring it back by shifting your awareness to the breath.

Continue and fill your body changing shape with the inhale and relaxing as you breathe out.

As you bring your breath into full awareness notice those thoughts just shifting a little to the background.

Try and picture the thoughts like clouds.

Each time a thought drifts back just imagine blowing it away with your next exhale.

Continue inhaling through the nose and exhaling with sound through the mouth.

Now ask yourself who is breathing?

Feel yourself becoming aware of the thinker behind the thoughts.

Continue taking deep breaths but now let's shift our focus from the breath to sensations in your body.

Just notice where you're holding tension.

Where does stress need to be released?

As we move through each part of the body in turn just witness any tightness and resistance and let it go.

Use the exhale of each breath to ease that release imagining the breath as a valve or the turning of a tap.

As you breathe out you're opening the valve and allowing the tension to be released into the air.

Let's start with your head.

Just allow it to sink gently every time you breathe out.

Notice and release the tension.

Your forehead,

Are you frowning?

Picture it being smooth as you let go.

Eyelids,

Shut but gently.

Relax.

Cheekbones,

Cheeks,

Mouth.

Let the corners droop not from sadness but from exhaling into calmness.

Your chin.

Notice your teeth.

Are they clenched?

Grinding?

Release.

Now your neck and shoulders.

You can go deeper with every exhale just like a ragdoll.

Imagining the ocean with every breath a crashing wave.

Now move your attention to your arms.

Biceps,

Triceps,

Elbows,

Forehead,

Forearms.

Let them follow gravity and just hang without tension.

Right hand relaxing every finger in turn.

Left hand thumb and lightly work your attention through each finger.

Chest and rib cage.

Imagining the lines of your ribs from front to back holding and supporting your frame but let them sink each in turn by releasing a little bit more air at the back.

Now moving to the upper back.

Focusing the force of each out breath into this area.

Lower back.

Lower back.

Now see if you can picture the top of your spinal column where it meets the head and follow the line of each of your 24 vertebrae in turn from your neck to your sitting bone.

Try telling each vertebrae to sigh and release.

And feel yourself sinking,

Releasing into the chair or the bed or the floor.

Let the ground support you.

There's no need for your spine to be exerted right now in this moment.

You may naturally find your mind wandering back to the thoughts that brought you here or the events to come.

Notice that these are just thoughts.

Are they facts or just part of our repeating soundtrack?

The things we tell ourselves,

The questioning,

The criticism.

Now try and shift your awareness to the thinker behind the thoughts,

The breathing being.

Observe those troubling thoughts like a witness.

Do they really exist right now in this moment?

How many of them are worries about the past or fears for the future that might never materialise?

Feel the power of this calm space where all that really exists is your breath and this moment.

And use that breath to push away the unwanted thoughts.

Let each exhale gently push them out of focus and ground you in your chair or the floor.

And now to the belly,

Our second brain.

Nerve endings and sensitivities.

Just release the butterflies.

Let them go.

Nobody's watching.

Feel the sensations of the breath deeply in the abdomen.

This breath in,

This breath out.

Aware of the pelvis and the groin.

The thighs,

Allow them to be heavy and completely relaxed.

Knees,

So much tension held in the knees.

Imagining now a gentle wave on the ocean washing over your knees with each breath,

Soothing and healing.

Reviews

You have a deeply soothing voice and I LOVED how the background music wasn’t intrusive as it can be on other peoples audios. As I breathed (which I don’t like to do, except to stay alive HAHA) I remarked to myself as I listened “My god this IS so relaxing!” My breath was pure and easy to pull in and expel, so it was more a peaceful surprise altho I don’t have breathing problems. I’ve been looking for someone I can work with so a hearty appreciation is extended to you! Thank you. ❤️

Enjoyed it. A good balance of quiet and guidance. Revisited 4/5

Thank you, still feeling anxious but that was helpful to calm down a bit.

Thanks for the practice.

Nice. Time flew by.

Thank you🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻That felt very good, your voice calming, soothing. Bookmarked!🙏🏻🦋😇💙🌅🌟✨💫

Peaceful, throughout. The peace deepened as you guided. I appreciate the extra time spent on releasing, and the process of scanning down through the vertebrae was unique, and produced a very relaxing flow. I would like to do more meditations with you, and I’m grateful for your thoughtful, unrushed, pace.

So hum ~ I am. Love this mantra. Wonderfully relaxing meditation. Great way to start the day. Namaste 🙏

Very well done, thank you!!

It was soooo relaxing I fell asleep. Will need to do this another time to fully appreciate the mantra. Thank you

Lovely. Relaxing.

Really lovely morning meditation. Very relaxing!
🙏🏼🌺🌷💖🦋💐

Works well for me. Thank you.

Thank you, lovely meditation.

A very relaxing meditation, very smooth! Thank you so much for this meditation, will listen again!

lovely, I don't know what the mantra means , but it relaxed me 😊

The morning had already started out stressfully. I could feel those familiar feelings. The churning stomach. The racing mind. The shallow breathing. Then I used Michelle's meditation and found the calm already inside me. I wish that peace for you, my friend, that silence within the sound. Namaste.

Very relaxing..thank you