Hi,
I'm Miriam Amavi and I'm your nervous system based teacher here on Insight Timer.
And you can do this meditation if you have a situation coming up that you have a lot of worries about or you feel like the uncertainty of the future makes you crazy.
So this somatic meditation helps you see all the ways things could go right instead of always anticipating what could go wrong.
And I know there can be a lot of resistance in the system and in the brain to feeling into what could go right because our brain wants to protect us and therefore predict the future and all its worst case scenarios in order to feel prepared for it.
But the thing is that often this creates more and more anxiety which makes it so much harder for us.
And the more you do this meditation the easier it is for your brain to look for what could actually go right.
And you can even use this to rehearse for events you are scared of or enhance your sense of capability.
So find a comfortable place reclined or seated upright and just arrive here for now.
If it feels good you can take a couple of deep breaths and feel the surface that you are sitting on and how it's holding you.
Perhaps you can notice the pressure of where your body meets the surface.
Perhaps there is a warmth there or a coolness.
And now I invite you to bring to mind the situation you are worried about,
The event,
The appointment,
Or the uncertainty about something.
And notice what happens in your body and in your thoughts as you put your awareness on this uncertainty.
Perhaps you can notice your heart rate change or you feel a little bit fidgety or your thoughts run wild.
Perhaps your brain creates all these worst case scenarios.
And just notice that.
Because this is information that tells us that your nervous system does not feel safe in the face of this.
So all these fears are parts of you that want to protect you.
And that's okay and we can talk to these fears and soothe them and perhaps you can just tell these parts of you that are scared,
Thank you for trying to protect me by showing me what could go wrong.
But I want to do a little experiment now.
For now I just want to see what could go right.
Because I know that things can go right.
I've experienced that before.
And see if there's any resistance coming up to this little experiment.
Maybe there is a part of you that wants to keep you from feeling into what could go right.
You can just tell this resistance that you see it,
That you hear it.
But just for this moment it is safe to look at what could be good,
Fun and fulfilling.
And now bring the situation that you're worried about into mind and gather evidence of how this situation or a similar situation went well in the past or went better than what your worst case scenario would have been.
Maybe it was uncomfortable but not as bad as you expected.
Perhaps it's not the thing that went well but perhaps how you met yourself.
How you were able to be kind with yourself even though things were really challenging or didn't go as planned.
Or perhaps there was something or someone who supported you.
And now you can find another situation,
A similar situation or time where you felt okay where something worked out better than you expected it to.
Perhaps the thing didn't really go well but other things in your life were going well at that time.
And this just helps our brain to find evidence that there is many nuances between something going really good and really well and something being the worst case.
And now go back to the situation or thing that you were initially worried about.
And I invite you to pick one little thing regarding the situation that could go right.
Maybe the weather is amazing or maybe you could meet a lovely person and just choose something that comes to mind that can be really really small.
But you don't have to put pressure on yourself and expect everything to go amazing and picture perfectly.
And if you found one little thing regarding the situation that could go right,
Really feel into how this feels in your body.
How warm you might feel on the inside as you meet this new person,
As you vibe with this new person or you laugh and you're so glad that you actually went and did the thing or perhaps you feel the warmth of the sun.
Or perhaps you feel just some relief.
And what does this feel like in your body and bathe in this feeling?
And now I invite you to pick another thing that could go right.
Perhaps you feel good in your body or your body feels a little less shitty than you expected.
Pick something that would make you feel really safe and held.
Maybe it's really quiet and peaceful there or there's interesting things to look at.
And how does that make you feel?
Really be there and feel what it feels like to touch something there.
Or what can you sense as this little thing is going right?
And what does it feel like when your body is really relaxed there?
And all the people you meet are really friendly,
Supportive.
And now feel into what this event or the situation would feel and look like if the thing you were so worried about didn't happen.
Perhaps you feel some relief or even pride that you still chose to go and do it or face it.
And go into this feeling of when you go home,
When the situation is over,
Feel the relief and the power you feel within yourself.
Knowing that you figured it out.
That you're proud of yourself regardless of how you felt.
And feel your capability to be here in this situation.
And I'm giving you a little bit of space now so you can really feel into what fits for you as the situation,
This event,
This thing goes well or goes better than expected.
To find things that could go right.
And now really anchor into that feeling,
This experience in your body.
Maybe find a word that you connect with this experience of everything going right.
Perhaps it's ease or light or whatever fits with this experience that you have in your body.
And know that it is not about whether you will manage the situation perfectly or without any anxiety.
It is about how you tend to yourself when you feel tension.
If you meet yourself with softness and without pressure,
Even when things get tough.
If you take breaks when you need to and communicate your needs.
Not because you're weak,
But because you are in connection with yourself.
And love yourself enough to give yourself what you need.
To take baby steps and take your time.
And the important thing is,
And the success is,
If you tried.
And met yourself lovingly within that,
No matter how far you get.
And you are not as fragile as you fear you are.
And if you like,
If it feels good,
You can take a couple of deep breaths.
Slowly open your eyes if you've closed them and orient yourself to the room.
Notice the surface that is holding you.
And that wherever you go,
There is always going to be a surface that holds you.
And if you want to regulate your nervous system and work deeper with this anxiety,
I invite you to explore my course here on Inside Timer,
Anxiety,
Stress and Overwhelm,
Practical Tools to Regulate Your Nervous System.
There's many somatic exercises in there that help you soothe your nervous system and work with fear from the bottom up.
And follow me for more nervous system based meditations and upcoming courses.
I'm Miriam Amavi and I wish you a wonderful day and you got this.
