Cultivating Courage & Inner Strength

We start with a relaxing breath practice, where you'll extend the exhale a bit to engage the parasympathetic nervous system. We then move to a brief relaxing body scan, before using imagery and positive affirmations to cultivate courage and positivity.
This is a great practice for all levels of meditators, as cultivating positive daily habits is fundamental to reducing anxiety and improving focus and clarity in your life.

Transcript

Hi and welcome to this meditation for cultivating courage and inner strength. Come into a comfortable position, Either seated or lying down, Whatever feels good to you and can sustain you for the next several minutes. Allow your eyes to gently close or gently rest your gaze on a spot in the room in front of you and just begin to notice your breath as it flows into your body and out again. Notice where you can feel the breath the most, Maybe that's at the nostrils, In the throat, Or in the rise and fall of the chest or belly. Breathe naturally here and allow yourself to settle in. Take a moment here to welcome yourself to this practice and perhaps set an intention. Now, Without forcing or straining, See if you can begin to deepen the breath a bit. We can do this by breathing in to a count of three and breathing out to a count of five. And if this is uncomfortable for you, Simply breathe in to a count of three and breathe out to a count of three. Let's begin. Breathing in, Two, Three, Out, Two, Three, Four, Five. Breathe like this for two more full cycles on your own. Good. Now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm and flow. Just notice what it feels like to breathe. Natural, Easy, Relaxed. Now, Bring your attention to your head and see if you can relax your forehead, Softening the brow. Relax the area around your eyes. Relax your jaw, Maybe allowing your lips to part slightly if that feels good to you. Relax your shoulders, Allowing them to fall from the ears. Relax your arms, Your hands, And your fingers. Let them be heavy in your lap or at your sides. Allow your chest, Your stomach, And your legs to become heavy with relaxation. Feel the support of the surface beneath you holding you in this space. Feel your body drop deeper and deeper into a state of calm stillness. You know that there's more that you want out of your life, More for you to live out there in the world. You've been blessed with talents and gifts to share with the world, But you know that there's more that you want. Some examples could be maybe to learn a new skill, To be more authentic, Or maybe to heal a relationship. So just begin to bring to mind something or a situation that you want in your life that perhaps fear has held you back from pursuing. Something that you don't have in this exact moment, But something you want to work toward. And just sit with this vision of what you want for a few moments. And as you hold this vision in your mind, You may notice that fear or anxiety may start to creep in. This may come across for you as self-judgment, Worries about what other people might say or think, Or simply a fear of rejection. Just notice what's coming up for you and the quality of those thoughts. Next, Start to notice what fear feels like in your body when it starts to creep in. Where do you notice it? Perhaps it's a lump in the throat, Tightness in your chest, Or somewhere else in your body. Or maybe it feels like you're holding on to something. Simply observe these sensations without getting caught up in the stories of fear. See if you can breathe into these areas of discomfort or tension with kindness and compassion. If the thought you're holding in your mind or bodily sensations become overwhelming, Simply notice this and bring your awareness back to the breath, Noticing if you're on an in-breath or an out-breath. Fear is always going to be a part of our lives in some way. All we can do is recognize it and choose to take courageous action in the face of it. This is how we honor our true selves and quiet the stories we tell ourselves that keep us living small. So now, Take a deep breath in and as you do, I want you to imagine your body becoming bigger, Firmer, And stronger. As any fear that you've noticed swirls around you, Continue to breathe slowly but naturally. Just imagine your body taking up more space, Becoming big and strong. And on your next breath in, Breathing in strength. When you breathe out, Letting go of fear and all of the stories connected to it. On the next breath in, Breathing in courage. Imagining your courage as a glowing light filling up your body. Breathing out, Feeling the fear drifting further away. Breathing in, Imagining that glowing light of courage completely filling you up. Feeling it radiating from within you and surrounding you. Breathing out and trusting that when we honor who we were created to be, We can be liberated from our fears. Bring to mind your vision of what you want again, And this time see it illuminated by the glowing light of courage, Hope, And strength. And now as you continue to breathe slowly and deeply, Repeat the following affirmations silently in your head. Try your best to connect with each phrase as though it were already true and present in your life. I am enough. All I need is already need is already within me. I choose to be resilient and courageous. I welcome challenges because they help me grow. My potential is limitless. I am worthy of peace, Support, And kindness. For the next few moments, I'll be silent. You can use your breath or the background music to anchor your awareness during this time of stillness. Now bringing your awareness back to my voice, Back to the space around you, Noticing your body seated here, And noticing how you're feeling. Your life is yours to live my friend. You have everything you need and there are so many who are in need of your gifts and talents. You only need to trust that you are enough. Now take a deep breath in and let it out with a sigh. And when you're ready, You can gently open your eyes. I hope you enjoyed this practice. The more you practice it, The easier it'll become and soon you'll find yourself stepping into being who you really are, Taking courageous action to achieve the life you desire. Thank you so much for joining me in this practice today. I'm wishing you a beautiful day. Namaste.