Welcome,
Dear friend.
I am so glad you are here.
If you're listening to this,
You might be feeling anxious,
Restless or unsettled right now.
And I want to begin by honoring that,
Honoring you and honoring what you are feeling right now.
It takes courage to press play,
To show up for yourself when your mind feels busy or your heart feels tight.
You've already taken a beautiful step towards calmness.
There is no need to change anything in this moment.
You don't have to fix or fight your anxiety.
This is a simple space to breathe,
To soften and to let your body begin to feel safe again.
Find a position that feels comfortable,
Either sitting upright with your feet grounded on the floor or lying down,
If that feels better.
Allow your hands to rest softly,
Maybe on your lap,
Maybe over your heart or simply by your side.
And let's begin with our breath.
Inhale slowly through your nose for four counts.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
And exhale gently through your mouth.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
And again,
Inhale through your nose for five counts.
And exhale through the mouth on six counts.
Each time you exhale,
Imagine a soft release,
As if the body is sighing out tension,
One layer at a time.
Science shows that when we lengthen the exhale,
We activate the parasympathetic nervous system,
The part of our body that helps us rest,
Digest and heal.
So,
Try to make your exhale just a little longer than your inhales.
And let's do that again together.
Inhale through the nose and exhale slowly through the mouth,
Letting your shoulders drop,
Your jaw loosen and your belly soften.
You don't need to breathe perfectly,
Just breathe kindly.
And if your mind starts to wander,
Gently say to yourself,
Thinking,
And return to your breath.
It is okay to begin again.
Every breath is a new beginning.
Now let's bring our awareness into the body,
Your anchor in this present moment.
Notice the support beneath you,
The chair,
The cushion,
The bed,
The floor,
The yoga mat and feel how it holds you.
You don't have to hold yourself up alone.
If you're sitting,
Feel your feet on the floor.
Gently press them down and sense the ground pushing back.
If you're lying down,
Feel your whole body resting into the earth.
Now slowly bring your awareness up through your body.
Feel the weight of your legs,
Your hips,
Your back and soften the belly,
Your chest,
Your shoulders.
Maybe roll your shoulders once or twice.
Inhale rolling them up,
Exhale rolling them back.
Feel the space you create as you release.
Now relax the jaw,
Your tongue,
Relax the space between your eyebrows and let your face be soft.
Notice how your body begins to feel a little heavier,
A little more grounded.
You are safe to be here.
You are safe to feel.
Anxiety is simply energy.
It's the body's way of protecting you when it feels uncertain.
It's not wrong or broken.
It's just trying to help.
Now place one hand on your heart if it feels comfortable.
Feel the gentle rise and fall beneath your palm,
Your body's rhythm reminding you that you are alive,
That you are here.
Repeat quietly after me or just listen and let the words sink in.
I am safe in this moment.
I am safe in this moment.
I am doing my best and that is enough.
I am doing my best and that is enough.
It's okay to feel what I feel.
It's okay to feel what I feel.
Now,
My breath brings me back home.
My breath brings me back home.
Studies show that when we meet our emotions with compassion instead of judgment,
We calm the fear centers of the brain and we activate parts linked to resilience and empathy.
So today,
Let's practice kindness,
Especially towards ourselves.
Remember,
You are not your anxiety.
You are the calm awareness behind it.
Now take a deep nourishing breath in through the nose and exhale fully through the mouth.
And imagine roots extending from your feet or the base of your spine deep into the earth,
Steady,
Connected and grounded.
With each breath,
Feel those roots grow stronger and stronger.
Notice how your body feels now compared to when we began.
Maybe you feel a little softer,
A little lighter.
Even if it's just 1% calmer,
That is enough,
That is healing.
You can return to this calm anytime.
It lives within you,
Always ready to meet you when you pause and listen.
And as we close this practice,
Take a final deep breath in and a long,
Slow exhale out.
Thank yourself for showing up today,
For choosing presence over pressure,
For choosing compassion over control.
Your courage to pause is a quiet revolution of healing.
Carry this grounded calm with you into your day.
And whenever anxiety arises,
Remember,
You can always come back home to your body,
To your breath and to this moment.
I'm sending you so much warmth and gratitude.
My name is Natalie and thank you so much for practicing with me.
Until the next time,
Namaste.
