Hi and welcome to this meditation practice for softening anxiety.
Come into a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down,
Choosing a posture that feels safe and comfortable to you,
And just begin to turn your attention inward toward your breath.
Breathe in and out through your nose and remain present with the felt experience of each breath,
Simply watching the breath move in and out through your nostrils.
Stay with this one breath in and with this one breath out.
As you look upon the breath with curiosity,
Let the detail of what you notice keep you right here in the present moment.
See if you can watch the breath with an open acceptance.
Now begin to expand your awareness from the breath to the body as a whole,
Remaining aware of the breath,
Being present with the sensation of breath throughout your body.
Feel the rise and fall of your shoulders,
Or the expansion and contraction of your belly,
Or simply an overall sense of floating upwards and downwards with each cycle of breath.
With every inhale,
Feel a sense of upward lifting lightness,
And with every exhale,
Relax the weight of your body further down toward the earth.
Let curiosity and an open,
Spacious attention keep you rooted in both breath and the body.
And beginning at the top of your head,
Ask yourself,
What's present here in my body other than my breath?
Scan through your head,
The forehead,
Your jaw,
And neck,
Staying present with curiosity and open-mindedness.
Notice any sensations,
Or if there are particular thoughts,
Feelings,
Or emotions present here in the neck and head.
And if you do notice something,
See if you can allow it to be.
The exercise here is to simply notice and to remain present with what is.
There's no need to judge,
Criticize,
Or change anything.
Simply acknowledge.
Acknowledge what's present right here and right now.
See if you can connect to the felt sensation in your shoulders,
Your upper and lower arms,
Your wrists,
And hands.
Connect to the felt sensation in your chest,
Belly,
And lower back.
Still aware of your breath,
But staying present with the torso.
Connecting to the sensations in your pelvis,
Your upper thighs,
The knees,
Bringing the awareness down to your lower legs,
Your feet,
And toes.
Remain curious and open,
Free from self-judgment,
And continue to let your heart open as you invite in a sense of awe and wonder,
Qualities which can help keep us present.
Here you are,
Breathing in this body,
This magical body that supports and serves you.
And is perfectly designed to hold you in this space.
And now shift your attention to the parts of the body that are connected to your seat or to the earth.
Your backside if you're lying down,
Your seat,
Thighs and feet if you're seated.
And with this awareness of the breath and body,
Expand your attention outward again.
And notice how you're connected to the space around you.
Recognize the support and solidity of the structures beneath you.
And realize that you're being held here by the breath and the body itself,
But also by the earth.
Allow the mind to relax for a few deep breaths before opening your eyes.
And as you feel ready,
Allow your eyes to gently open if they were closed.
Get reacquainted with your surroundings,
And prepare to re-engage with your day.
Thank you so much for joining me in this practice today.
I hope you have a beautiful day.
Namaste.
