Hi and welcome to Guided by Sarah.
Before we begin,
I would like to explain what might be actually happening in your body right now.
You see,
When we experience anxiety,
Our nervous system often shifts into what's called fight or flight.
It's a survival response.
Your body releases stress hormones,
Your heart rate increases,
Your breath becomes quicker,
And your muscles prepare to move and flee.
All of this happens because your system believes that there is danger.
Even if the danger is a text,
An email,
A conversation,
A memory,
Or simply a thought.
Anxiety is often mobilized energy.
Energy that wants to protect you,
That wants to act.
Energy that doesn't always get to complete its movement.
And when that energy has nowhere to go,
It can feel like tightness,
Restlessness,
Racing thoughts,
Or buzzing under your skin.
Your body is very intelligent and nothing is wrong with you.
So today,
We're not going to try to suppress anxiety.
We are not forcing you to calm down.
We are gonna help your nervous system complete what it started,
So it can return to safety.
For the following practice,
You can either stay seated or comfortably lie down.
Let yourself be supported however you need right now.
And then just begin by noticing where or if you can feel any activation in your body right now.
We'll begin with a regulating breath called the physiological sigh.
And how we do it is we inhale slowly through your nose.
And before you reach the top,
Take a second small sip of air in.
And then slowly exhale through your mouth,
Letting it all go.
Let's do it again.
Inhale.
Little sip at the top.
And a long,
Soft exhale,
Sighing it out.
Let your exhale be longer than the inhale.
And continue doing a few more rounds at your own rhythm.
And each long exhale sends your nervous system a signal.
It's okay now.
The danger has passed.
And even if your mind isn't fully convinced yet,
Maybe you can notice if your shoulders are starting to soften,
If your jaw releases just slightly,
Or if you feel the need to yawn.
These are really good signs that your body is starting to downregulate.
Next,
We'll gently move through the body in waves.
We'll begin by tightening all the muscles in your lower body.
So roll up your toes,
Tense your feet,
Your calves,
Your thighs,
Your buttocks.
And hold for 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release completely.
Let your legs become heavy and notice the contrast between tension and release.
Now we're going to do the same thing but into your upper body.
So,
Clench your fists,
Tighten your arms,
Your shoulders,
Your shoulder blades,
Tense your whole spine,
Your core.
And hold for 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Release.
Let your shoulders drop and your hands soften.
And now,
One final time.
Gently tense your entire body at once.
Start with your feet,
Legs,
Hips,
Back,
Hands,
Arms,
Belly,
Shoulders,
And maybe even you can squeeze your face,
Clench your jaw.
And hold for 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
And completely let go.
Let your body relax and notice this is what completion can feel like.
And now that your body has released some of that activation,
We will anchor you into stability.
So bring your awareness to your feet.
Even if you're laying down,
Imagine the soles of your feet.
And imagine that from the bottom of your feet,
Roots begin to grow.
Like the roots of a tree slowly reaching into the earth.
The roots move downward,
Through the floor beneath you,
Into the ground.
Deeper and deeper into the earth.
And as they move down,
They spread.
Creating stability,
Support,
Safety.
Imagine the earth beneath you steady.
It's solid.
It's unmoving.
And through these roots,
Your body can release any remaining tension.
Imagine it flowing out of your feet,
Into the ground,
Through your roots.
Let gravity pull everything down.
Take everything away that's no longer needed.
So let's take a slow breath in.
And as you exhale,
Feel your body becoming heavier.
More grounded.
More here.
Anxiety often pulls us upward.
Into our heads,
Into thoughts,
Into future scenarios.
And grounding like this brings you back.
Back into your body and back into the present moment.
Notice the contact points of your body touching the surface beneath you.
And maybe you want to offer yourself some final words like I am here.
I am listening.
I am safe now.
I am always here for you.
And then let's take one final physiological sigh together.
Inhaling comfortably.
One more sip at the top.
And sighing it out.
Sigh.
And when you're ready,
Bring your awareness back into the room.
And gently open your eyes.
Welcome back.
You just helped your nervous system move towards safety.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
And I'll see you next time.
Sarah
