Meditation For Anxiety

When anxiety has been running the day, this is time set aside to let it loosen. A full-length guided meditation that combines mindfulness with bilateral stimulation, gentle sound moving slowly from ear to ear in the left and right rhythm used in EMDR therapy to settle the nervous system. You are guided to notice the anxiety without fighting it, to find steadier ground in the body and the breath, and to let the rhythm carry you into a calmer state. Long enough to make a real difference on a hard day, and gentle enough to use before sleep. Please use headphones, as the left and right movement is lost without them.
This practice is for relaxation and is not a substitute for professional help. Part of Soft Cadence, a series of EMDR-informed meditations for sleep, anxiety, breathing, focus, and emotional balance. Created by Begüm Engür, Clinical Psychologist & European Accredited EMDR Therapist.

Transcript

Welcome to Meditation to Reduce Anxiety. A big warm welcome by me. I'm so glad you're here. Throughout this practice, Pay attention to the sound in the background. First, I would like you to invite you. Gently close your eyes. And take a nice slow breath. Deep breath in. Deeper than the one you have taken all day so far. And as you exhale, Concentrate on my voice. Allowing it to ground you into present moments. And giving yourself permission right now to focus on you. You are your priority. There is nowhere else you need to be right now. There is nothing else you need to be doing. For the next few minutes, Your well-being is your focus. Continue to take slow, Deep breaths. Allowing each inhale to be deeper. Feel your lungs expand out as you inhale. And contract back in as you exhale. Feel the journey of the breath. Through your body. And notice any places in your body you may be holding stress or anxiety. Unfurl your brow. Unclench your jaw. Let your shoulders drop down from your ears. Open your palms. Allow your breath to be your anchor in this meditation. If you get distracted by anything. Notice it and draw your attention back to your breath. So right now, I invite you to call to mind a situation that you feel is causing you anxiety. What thoughts are you holding about it? Accept its presence. Now give the thought permission to drop away. You don't need it anymore. Simply let it go. And what's the story you have been telling yourself about the situation? As you recognize it and acknowledge its presence, Give that story permission to drop as well. You may notice your mind pushing you even harder. To hold on to those judgments and those stories. Recognize and acknowledge those faults too. And now allow them to drop away as well. Now let's look at that situation again without the judgment or the story you were telling yourself. How does it feel? Has the level of anxiety or stress changed? Look at the situation with curiosity. As moving into the silent part of this meditation, Give yourself permission to open up to the clarity. And a direction on what the next step for you is. Continue breathing with your eyes closed. Just let your attention start to focus back on my voice. Are our judgments often stories we tell ourselves about a situation? Tend to exaggerate our feelings of unease, Anxiety, And stress. They can block us from seeing the truth about a situation. So the next time you're feeling anxious, Remember to breathe. And then notice and acknowledge the judgments of others. And let them drop away. And notice how the anxiety eases. Focus on the truth of the situation at this moment. You have everything you need right now. Let's take three more deep breaths together. Take a deep inhale then. Holding that for a bit. And exhale it out. Again. Even deeper breath than the one before. Fold it. Exhale out. One last time. Inhale deeper. Fold it. And strongly exhale it out. When you're ready. You can open your eyes. You can repeat this practice anytime. And as much as you want.