Good evening.
My name is Bill Larson.
Recently there's been a topic on my mind that I have wanted very badly to address.
Anxiety.
There are times when we are able to lay down our day and find and enjoy a peaceful and restful sleep.
But there are many people out there,
Including friends of mine,
Who don't have that kind of peace and quiet in their mind.
When they're alone,
When they're tired,
When they're stressed out from what would be a normal day to us,
Their minds go into overdrive and they experience and can experience a crippling anxiety.
So tonight,
As we let go of the events of our day to be able to enjoy a peaceful and restful sleep,
I want to acknowledge those who have anxiety and say it's okay.
This meditation is for you,
Very specifically.
So let's take a moment first to appreciate ourselves for being here,
That we're actually taking this time to be present,
To go inside and look into our own lives as we care for our own health and mental well-being.
Opening our hearts by practicing self-compassion helps us accept and give space to our anxiety.
Sometimes,
Focused and kind attention is all we need to feel more peaceful and at ease.
Let's take a few moments to choose a quiet place to practice your meditation.
Remember,
In this place,
You are safe.
Sit tall but relaxed in this quiet and safe place and breathe patiently and evenly in and out.
As we meditate tonight,
Make a note of your thoughts or feelings and what they are.
If a negative thought or feeling grabs your attention,
Make a note of it and then return to focusing on your breath.
Remember,
It's natural for your mind to wander to your social and performance fears,
But try not to be critical of yourself.
Notice that thought or feeling,
But don't follow it and don't let your mind pursue it.
Recognize that it's simply a thought.
It's what your mind does.
You can notice it,
But then let it go.
Now,
Take a few moments to concentrate on your mind and body with a mindful check-in.
Being aware of any sensations,
Any thoughts,
Any tightness in the body,
As well as being attuned to your mood,
Feeling or emotions,
And just acknowledging whatever's being felt.
And for tonight,
Letting it be.
As we go through the body,
You may notice from time to time tensions,
Tightness,
And achiness.
That's okay,
Because this is your time to focus on those stressed areas and allow them to soften so that you can find a more relaxed place for yourself before you sleep.
Now,
Very gently,
Let's bring our attention to your breath.
Being mindful of the breath in your abdomen,
Expanding on an inhalation and falling on an exhalation.
Breathing in and breathing out with awareness.
Breathing normally and breathing naturally,
Feeling the rise and fall of your abdomen.
Being aware of our breathing can help calm us down when we're feeling anxious,
Even fearful.
Breathe in and breathe out,
Taking in one inhalation and letting go of one exhalation at a time.
Good.
Now,
Gently withdraw the awareness from your breathing and let's shift our focus to a body scan.
Begin by gently concentrating on the soles of your feet,
The heels,
The bottom of your feet,
Your toes,
The top of your feet,
Behind your Achilles tendon,
And gently above and into your ankle joints.
And as you do this,
Breathe.
Release all the tension you might be feeling so that your feet are relaxed.
Then,
Extend that release into your lower legs,
Your calves,
The shins,
And into your knees.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Now,
Release the tension from your upper legs,
Thighs,
Hips,
And pelvis.
Good.
Let's now focus on releasing the tension in your lower back,
Your spine,
And eventually your upper back.
As you breathe,
Release any tensions you may feel here.
Good.
Now,
As you breathe,
Be mindful of your shoulders and shoulder blades.
Feel yourself move from your shoulders to your upper arms and down into your elbows,
Forearms,
Wrists,
Hands,
And fingers.
Doesn't that feel nice and relaxing?
Finally,
Mindfully release the tension in your neck,
Face,
And head.
Good.
You've done a complete system check on yourself.
You've taken the time to put aside the events of the day to focus on you,
Your head and neck,
Shoulders,
Arms and hands,
Chest and abdomen,
Your back,
Hips,
Legs and feet,
Feeling your body as a whole from head to toe.
Breathe in,
Feeling your chest rise ever so gently,
And breathe out,
Letting it fall and relax.
Even as we focus on the body and mind,
We may at times continue to experience some anxious thoughts,
Worries,
And fears.
But listen to yourself with compassion.
For when we are in the moment and present and use the practice of mindfulness,
Of inquiry,
Of investigating ourselves and practicing self-care,
We discover the underlying causes of our fears and worries.
So we conquer them and not let them keep us unhappy and unhealthy.
Breathe in and out.
As we breathe,
Imagine yourself sitting on a blanket outside on a perfect summer day.
We look up at the incredible blue sky.
Now watch the clouds and pretend they are the very thoughts that bring you anxiety.
The more you relax on your special safe blanket,
The further and further those clouds fly away from you off into the sky.
As you prepare for sleep tonight,
Remember that your anxious thoughts are nothing but passing mental phenomena,
Like clouds,
Mental events that come and go.
Being present in our minds and bodies allows us to become aware of the thoughts and traps we find ourselves in in that moment.
When we realize those instances,
Those bad feelings,
Those doubts,
Worries and anxieties are not permanent at all,
We can become free.
We can become calm.
You are now free.
And as we begin to end this meditation,
Let's take a moment to remember all those people in our lives that are also challenged with these feelings and extend our well wishes of healing and of peace to them.
Most of all,
As you sink into your pillow and feel the warmth and safety of your blankets in bed,
Congratulate yourself for proactively taking this precious time to work on you and turn your anxiety and anxiousness into power and freedom.
Remember,
All those anywhere that live with doubt,
They too are held in the cradle and the heart of the universe and no one,
Especially you,
Is ever alone.
Wherever they are and wherever you are,
You are amazing and worthy of being free from fear and are worthy of finding peace to be able to enjoy a wonderful,
Restful and deep sleep.
Good night and be well.
