Hello and welcome to this guided mindfulness meditation practice designed to help ease anxiety about climate change.
This practice will hopefully help you to acknowledge your feelings,
To connect with the present moment,
And to cultivate resilience.
So to begin with,
I'd like you to find a comfortable place to sit,
A place where you feel safe,
A place where you're free from distractions and you are unlikely to be interrupted for the next 20 minutes or so.
Rest your hands gently on your lap.
Gently allow your eyes to close.
We're going to begin by inhaling deeply for a count of four through your nose,
Holding that breath for four,
And exhaling through the mouth for a count of six.
We'll do that one more time.
Deep breath in through the nose for four,
Holding it for four,
And exhaling for a count of six.
Each time you do that,
Pay attention to how the air feels as it enters your nostrils,
How it feels as your chest rises,
How it feels as your belly expands,
How it feels when the air leaves your body.
We're going to repeat that cycle for five times.
If thoughts arise about other things during this time,
Simply acknowledge that you've had a thought.
Gently guide your attention back to the exercise.
So we're going to breathe in for four,
Hold for four,
Out for six.
In for four,
Hold for four,
Out for six.
And three more times on your own.
And now I would like you to affirm silently to yourself,
I am present,
I am safe in this moment.
I am present,
I am safe in this moment.
Now we're going to take some time to check in with our feelings.
Ask yourself,
What emotions am I feeling about climate change right now?
Fear,
Grief,
Anxiety,
Helplessness.
Name your feelings out loud.
Phrase them into sentences that make sense to you and to your values.
I feel anxious about the future.
I feel sad about environmental loss.
Spend a couple of minutes naming your feelings.
And as you've named your feelings,
You've probably become more aware of the emotions surrounding them.
Try to visualize your emotions as waves on the ocean.
They rise,
They peak,
They fall.
Instead of hiding from your feelings or pushing them away.
Practice being curious about them without judgment.
Say silently to yourself,
It's okay for me to feel this way.
Feeling this way is a sign that I care.
I am not alone in feeling this way.
Breathe into acceptance of your emotions.
Each inhalation is a gentle embrace of the emotions that you feel.
Each exhalation gently releases the tension surrounding them.
It is okay for me to feel this way.
Feeling this way is a sign that I care.
I am not alone in feeling this way.
For the next part of this mindfulness meditation,
You can either experience where you are or visualize somewhere else.
So if you're currently sitting indoors,
I'd like you to visualize yourself outdoors.
Choose a place that you know well and that you feel comfortable in.
If you are outdoors,
Then this will work with wherever you are.
You're going to begin by observing your surroundings.
Notice the colors.
Notice the textures.
Notice the sounds.
Perhaps even notice the sense of nature around you.
Touch the earth.
Feel the ground beneath your feet.
With your hand,
Touch a wall,
The bark of a tree,
The grass.
Feel the breeze on your skin.
Take some slow,
Mindful breaths.
With each deep inhalation,
Imagine you are drawing in the resilience of the earth.
And with each exhalation,
You are releasing your tension,
Releasing your worry.
Silently affirm to yourself,
I am connected to the earth.
I am a part of this vast,
Beautiful system.
Nature is resilient,
And so am I.
Again,
What do you see around you?
What do you hear around you?
What do you feel around you?
With each inhalation,
You are absorbing the earth's strength.
And with each exhalation,
You are releasing worry.
Repeat to yourself,
I am connected to the earth.
I am a part of this vast,
Beautiful system.
Nature is resilient,
And so am I.
The earth sustains me,
And I honor it.
I'd like to invite you to come back to the present moment and to your breath,
Wherever you are.
And we're going to shift our attention now to gratitude and to action.
Think of three things that you appreciate about the earth.
Perhaps it's the air you breathe,
The shade of a tree,
The sound of the rain,
The gentle murmur of a river.
Without any judgment,
Allow yourself to feel grateful for these things.
And now reflect upon your daily lifestyle.
What is one small thing that you can do to gain some agency over your feelings about climate change?
This is not putting the onus on you to fix it.
This is not negating some very real concerns and worries.
This is not glossing over the bigger picture and pretending that recycling a plastic bottle is going to help.
But reflect on a small action that you can take.
It might well be recycling that plastic bottle.
It might be buying secondhand clothes rather than new.
Maybe it's reducing waste.
Maybe it's sharing what you know to increase awareness of the scale of the problem.
Maybe it's more direct,
Supporting direct climate action.
Maybe you're walking and cycling more and driving less.
Maybe you're cutting down red meat from your diet,
Becoming vegetarian,
Becoming vegan.
No action is too small to give you some sense of agency in this current crisis.
Visualize yourself making a positive impact.
Picture yourself planting trees,
Protecting wildlife,
Inspiring others,
Studying for higher qualifications in areas that interest you and that could help.
And with each visualization of you doing something to make a positive impact,
See the ripple effect of your actions.
See how people in your immediate community view what you're doing and how it causes them to think.
And silently affirm to yourself,
I cannot do everything,
But I can do something.
My actions matter.
I am part of the solution.
Place one hand over your heart.
Feel its gentle rhythm,
Reminding you that you're alive,
Connected.
Offer yourself some compassion.
I'm doing my best.
I release what I cannot control.
I choose to focus on hope and small actions that I can take.
Take three deep breaths.
Inhale clarity.
Exhale doubt.
Bring your awareness back to the room.
Notice how your body feels.
As you move through your day,
Know that you are a part of a greater movement of care and of change.
You are not alone.
You are part of the earth and your efforts,
However big or small,
Do matter and do have an impact.
