Hello,
My name is Paulina and today we will be practicing a meditation for when we're having feelings of anxiety.
So oftentimes when we're having these challenging or difficult feelings,
Our first response can be to try and ignore them,
Push them away,
Or trying to change things.
This meditation is going to be the opposite.
It's going to give you an opportunity to relax into your body and the present moment,
To notice your feelings without judgment and simply allowing the feelings to be with curiosity instead of needing them to be a certain way.
This practice can be done sitting,
Standing,
Even at your desk.
So just let your body get into more of a comfortable position,
Relaxing your shoulders away from your ears,
Loosening any muscles in your body,
And we will begin.
Gently start to become aware and present with your body.
We're just going to relax here,
Starting to notice our breath.
Where in your body do you notice the inhale coming in and the exhale leaving your body?
So taking some time here,
A few breaths,
Simply allowing your body to breathe itself,
Being really gentle wherever you're at.
This is a practice of curiosity and acceptance.
So simply noticing where in your body you notice the breath moving in,
The breath moving out.
Maybe you like to bring one hand to your belly,
One hand to your heart.
And again,
Simply noticing where in your body do you feel the breath moving in and the breath moving out.
Maybe closing your eyes if you haven't already,
Letting your body relax even more.
Your next exhale,
Letting all your air go nice and softly,
Relaxing even deeper.
And when you're ready,
I invite you to bring to your awareness a place in your body where you're having challenging or uncomfortable feelings or sensations.
So ideally you bring your awareness right inside your body.
So if it's in your stomach,
You're feeling the inside of your stomach walls.
If it's in your chest,
You're going into your chest,
Feeling whatever you feel there,
Maybe tightness,
Maybe constriction.
And without judging or trying to change,
Just notice the sensations as you inhale and notice the sensations as you exhale.
Again,
We're doing this through a lens of curiosity and gentleness.
Simply noticing as an observer what you feel as you inhale and what you feel as you exhale.
Maybe naming a few sensations as you sit here breathing,
Noticing a sense of sharpness or constriction.
Again,
Get curious how it feels moment to moment.
Do these sensations change or evolve as you inhale,
Filling up your body?
And as you exhale,
Relaxing your body.
If this feels very challenging,
You can open your eyes.
But continue maintaining your awareness on these specific feelings and sensations in this specific area.
We'll take two more full breaths here.
Again,
Bring your awareness as best you can inside your body.
And if that is challenging,
Simply imagine what it could feel like inside your body with all these little sensations.
After your next exhale,
I invite you to find a place in your body with the opposite feelings.
So if you are feeling tightness and constriction,
Where in your body does it feel open and relaxed?
If not totally open and relaxed,
Just a little bit more open and relaxed than your previous part of your body.
So choosing this new area of your body to focus on,
Ideally going inside your body.
And we'll breathe here with curiosity.
So simply noticing how you feel in this area of your body as you inhale.
Noticing how you feel in your body as you exhale.
Again,
Judgment-free,
Not trying to change.
Simply witnessing as an observer how you feel in your body.
A lot of times these feelings of anxiety or tension are just trying to get our attention,
Trying to get some TLC from us instead of rushing on to the next thing.
So again,
Just simply notice how your body feels in this second area as you inhale and exhale.
Noticing any shifts but not judging.
We'll take two more long,
Slow,
And deep breaths here.
Again,
Awareness inside our body to the tiny sensations we feel.
After your next exhale,
I invite you to bring your awareness back to the original place you started with in your body.
Focusing your awareness internally here.
And again,
Simply noticing and witnessing any sensations without judging or labeling them as good or bad.
Noticing if there's been any shifts or changes.
And simply letting yourself breathe here.
Bring a little more gentleness to your inhales and exhales.
Maybe placing your hands on top of this part of the body.
Breathing here.
And now we'll let go of this part of the body and witness ourself as a whole being.
Even though you might be sitting or laying in stillness,
Notice the sensations on the inside and outside of each part of your body as you inhale and exhale.
Maybe noticing how the air feels on the outside of your skin.
How your ribcages feel as you inhale and expand your body.
Or gently feeling your heart beating.
Relaxing as you spend more time here.
Witnessing your sensations as your body breathes in and out.
Taking a moment to show some gratitude.
Maybe thinking inside your head of how grateful you are for your body.
For speaking to you through its feelings and sensations.
And for doing an incredible job doing everything it does all day long.
Taking one last inhale here together filling yourself all the way up.
Pausing at the top of this inhale.
As you exhale peacefully and gently letting go of anything you're ready to let go of.
Carrying this energy with you.
Thank you for taking the time to practice together here today.
