So this is a core meditation to help you with anxiety whether that be social anxiety,
General anxiety,
Typically anxiety comes because we feel threatened and we don't feel safe but in reality we typically are very safe.
So this meditation is all about becoming familiar with feeling safe and you will feel better after doing it but actually there's a dosage effect so the more you do this the easier it will become to generate this sense of safety and the more it will start to seep into your daily life.
So really if you can do this on a regular basis over time you'll start to notice the benefits.
So let's just start by taking three deep breaths breathing in through the nose,
Into the belly holding and exhaling.
So breathing in for four,
Holding for four,
Exhaling for seven.
So breathing in for four,
Holding for four,
Exhaling through the mouth and just letting all your muscles relax.
And so now just let your breath return to its natural rhythm and we're just going to focus on it for a few breaths.
Just let your attention rest on your abdomen as you breathe in and as you breathe out.
Rising and falling.
And so I'd like you now just to check in with how you're feeling.
How are you feeling in the body?
Are you feeling tense?
Are you feeling loose?
Just gently scan down through your body,
The top of your head,
Down through your shoulders,
Chest,
Your stomach.
Moving down into your lower body,
Down through your legs and your feet.
Just overall just take in how your body feels.
There's no need to change anything.
Just noticing how you're feeling.
If you can just label it.
Next just notice how your mind is.
Is it calm?
Is it scattered?
Whatever it is,
It's absolutely fine.
There's no need to change it.
It's just noting it.
Just bring it into awareness.
Once we're aware of these things typically they calm down a bit.
So I just like you to notice how safe you are right now.
You might be sitting in a room with four walls around you.
More than likely you've got food if you need it or water if you need it.
Right now you're physically safe.
Just let that sink in.
Fundamentally if you're breathing right now there's more right than wrong.
You are safe right now.
And that's the truth.
So let's get familiar with feeling safe a bit more now.
So if you can just bring to mind a time that you have felt completely safe.
This could have been a long time ago.
This could have been with your parents.
It could be with friends.
It could be with grandparents.
It could be with a pet.
It could be just you in nature.
Just bring to mind a time where you felt completely relaxed at ease and safe.
Try and imagine this as vividly as possible.
Where you were.
What you could see.
Who was with you.
Maybe what you could hear.
I just want you to allow yourself to sink in to this feeling of safety.
Right now you're in a safe place.
Let that feeling envelop your body.
Let it sink in to your body.
How does it feel when you feel completely and utterly safe?
If you like you can imagine a warm golden liquid just pouring in through the top of your head.
Going down through your body and starting to fill up from the toes.
Just your toes feeling completely safe.
Your feet feeling completely safe.
Moving up into your shins and your calves and your knees and your thighs.
How do your legs feel when you feel completely and utterly safe?
Let that liquid move up into your stomach.
Just letting that warm golden liquid relax your stomach.
Filling up your chest,
Up your back,
Down your arms,
Into your shoulders,
Your neck,
Your face,
Your scalp.
Just imagine your whole body is filled with this liquid,
This golden liquid that makes you feel completely warm and safe.
Are there any parts of you which feel particularly safe?
There are and just focus on those more.
Maybe there's some looseness.
Just let your attention become absorbed by that feeling.
If any parts of your body aren't relaxing or don't feel safe just give them permission to relax because the truth is right now you are safe,
Completely safe.
Just let that feeling intensify.
Imagine you were a hundred percent completely and utterly safe.
No need to brace yourself against anything you can release,
You can relax.
Right now you are completely safe.
If any parts resist that's okay.
Just focus on the parts which are feeling relaxed and safe.
Go deeper into them.
Let yourself enjoy it.
No matter what your mind might be telling you or your body you are safe right now.
Just let yourself feel it.
Relax into it.
Let your muscles soften.
No.
If you notice any parts feeling a bit tense just see if you can bring that sense of safety into those areas of your body.
The truth is you are safe right now and it's okay to feel that way.
Just keep letting it deepen.
Just keep getting familiar with that feeling.
The more familiar we become with it the more it will seep into the rest of our lives and our days and the more easy it is to bring it to mind when we need to.
So just really let yourself sink in.
Let your muscles relax.
As your mind knows you're safe right now let your body feel it.
Just let go.
I'd just like you to bring to your awareness now.
How's your body feeling now?
And how's your mind feeling now?
Maybe it's a bit calmer.
Maybe your body is a little bit looser.
Now just let your mind relax.
No need to focus on anything.
And when you're ready you can just open your eyes.
And now if you can just through the rest of the day when you feel stressed or anxious just know that you are actually safe right now and often it's the mind playing tricks on you looking out for the negative because years and years ago when we were evolving this was useful but our current environment generally we're physically safe and there's no need to feel threatened and then just bring that sense of feeling safe to mind and try and ease into it.
So if you can do this even just for a few minutes before lunch at the end of the day the more often you do this the more your body will get used to feeling safe and the less likely the fight-and-flight response will kick in and the more calm and clear you will feel.
So I hope you enjoyed that meditation.
So if you can just try and do this meditation every day.
Whatever is best for you you can do it before bed,
Through a bed of sleep or in the morning to start your day or both and over time your mind will start to realize you're safe and then your body will also start to realize you're safe.
Have a great rest of your day or evening.
