Hi there,
My name is Bill and welcome to your 5-minute meditation.
Each 5-minute meditation is designed for people who just need a quick reset during their day to focus on themselves,
Take a breather and relax.
Before we begin,
Take a moment to appreciate yourself for taking these few minutes to be present for yourself so you can care for your own health and mental well-being,
Especially during a busy or trying day.
Let's begin by concentrating on your mind and body with a short mindful check-in,
Being aware of any sensations,
Any thoughts,
Any tightness in the body,
As well as being attuned to your mood,
Feelings or emotions and just acknowledging whatever's being felt and for these precious few minutes,
Letting it be.
As we go through the body,
You may notice tensions,
Tightness or achiness.
That's okay because this is your time to focus on those stressed areas to allow them to soften so you can find a more relaxed place for yourself before rejoining the world.
Now,
Very gently bring attention to your breathing,
Being mindful of the breath in your abdomen,
Expanding on an inhalation and falling on an exhalation,
Breathing in and breathing out with awareness,
Being aware of our breathing can help calm us down when we're feeling anxious or even fearful.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Now,
Gently withdraw that awareness from your breathing to focus on 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.
As you 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.
Remember,
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 there.
Good.
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,
Your wrists,
Your hands and fingers.
Finally,
Mindfully release the tension in your neck,
Face and head.
Congratulations.
You have taken the time to put aside the events of your day to focus on you.
Breathe in,
Feeling your chest rise ever so gently and breathe out,
Letting it fall and relax.
Even as we take these few minutes to focus on the body and mind,
We may at times continue to experience some anxious thoughts,
Worries,
Even fears.
But,
Listen to yourself with compassion.
For when we're in this moment and present and use this practice of mindfulness and self-care,
We can uncover the underlying causes of our fears and worries so that we can conquer them and not let them keep us unhappy and unhealthy.
Now,
As we breathe,
Imagine yourself sitting on a blanket outside on the perfect summer day.
We look up at the most 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 blanket,
The further and further those clouds fly away in the sky.
Remember,
Your anxious thoughts are nothing but passing mental phenomena like clouds,
Mental events that come and go.
When we realize those instances,
Those bad feelings,
Those doubts,
Worries and fears are temporary,
We become free.
That's right,
You are now free.
As we end this meditation,
Take a moment to feel the warmth and safety of this meditation space and congratulate yourself for proactively taking this precious time to work on you and turn your anxiety and anxiousness into power and freedom.
Remember,
Wherever you are,
You are amazing and worthy of being free from fear and you are never alone.
Have a wonderful rest of your day or night and I extend my well wishes of healing and of peace to you.
Until next time,
Be well.
