Hey it's me Stacy B.
Welcome to all of my fellow nonlinear,
Neurodivergent,
Highly sensitive people,
Super smart creatives,
Probably with a touch of trauma,
Who have an issue with meditation.
Maybe you find it challenging because your mind is your anchor and getting the thoughts out of the way can be challenging.
I've been experimenting with this process for a while now and I'm really happy to share it with you because if you're like me,
You consider your mind to be both a blessing and a curse and can often find it difficult to find that stillness,
That calm that you hear referred to in enlightenment,
Spiritual,
Meditation circles and sometimes wonder just what the heck is wrong with you because you can't seem to find that within you in the way other people seem to.
So we're going to start by finding a comfortable chair.
If you feel you need to lie down,
That's okay.
It's encouraged to sit up because you want to be present and lying down can encourage sleep.
Once you're in that chair,
Away from noises that can bother you,
Other distractions including people,
Find a comfortable position.
See if you can find a way to put your feet firmly on the ground.
Wiggle your toes a little bit and let your feet plant.
Let your shoulders drop.
If you feel comfortable,
Close your eyes.
We're going to begin with some rounds of 4-7-8 breathing and the reason we do this is because for those of us who are wired this way,
Our amygdala's may often be on hyper alert and the amygdala is the part of the brain from which all fear stems,
Creating feelings of not being safe.
And with this 4-7-8 breathing,
The amygdala cannot be activated because if you were truly in danger,
You could not be taking the time to breathe in this way.
So we're going to do an inhale for four counts,
Holding for seven,
And exhaling through pursed lips like you have a straw in them for a count of eight.
Let's do a practice round together.
Inhaling deeply from your belly if possible.
Inhale to a count of four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold it.
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Inhale through pursed lips,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
That's it.
It's that simple.
Wriggle around if you need to.
Sigh,
Let it all out.
All of the worries about tomorrow,
Yesterday,
What else needs to be done today.
Do what you can to be as in this moment as you possibly can be.
Let's begin.
Inhale for a count of four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold it.
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Inhale seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Now you're on your own.
I'll guide you,
But I'm not going to count.
Inhale hold.
Inhale.
Round three.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
Round four.
Inhale.
Hold.
Inhale.
Exhale.
And the final round.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
If you've yawned during this process,
That's a really good sign that your body is relaxing.
And if you haven't,
That's okay.
Everybody's different.
Just breathe normally for a minute.
I'm going to ask you to close your eyes if it feels safe.
And place your left hand on top of your left thigh and your right hand on top of your right thigh.
And just breathe normally.
You're going to hear a beat.
Gently tap your thigh with the hand that's on top of it to the rhythm of this beat.
Left,
Right,
Right,
Left.
However you want to do it.
Let your ears focus on the sound of the rhythm.
Let your mind and your body focus on the tapping of your thighs.
Thoughts will still be generated.
You don't have to give in to them.
You can observe them.
You can gently push them across the floor of your mind until they're out of frame.
Focus on the sound of the beat.
Focus on the feeling of the tapping.
If counting helps you,
That's fine.
Remember to breathe.
Let the thoughts move across the floor of your mind until they're out of frame.
Drop your shoulders.
Remind yourself that it's safe to feel calm.
You may see colors or shapes behind your eyes that's perfectly normal.
You may see nothing that's normal as well.
Let the thoughts move out of frame.
Keep peace and calm.
If you need to stop,
Just sit quietly and breathe.
If this process ever creates anxiety or a feeling of being unsafe,
Stop.
Let your ears focus on the sound of the beat.
And let your mind and body focus on the movement of your hands and the tapping.
Continue to breathe gently.
And accept this kindness that you are offering yourself.
A respite from the thoughts that run through your mind on a regular basis.
Creating a peace inside.
Again remind yourself you're safe.
It is safe to be calm.
It is safe to turn off the mind or at least turn down the dimmer switch.
And as we wrap up,
Thank yourself for providing this opportunity to experience if only for a brief time the calm and the peace that comes from having the mind focus elsewhere.
So your body can truly relax.
We're going to slowly bring ourselves back to this moment.
Breathing gently and easily.
And remembering that this process is available to us anytime,
Anytime we feel overwhelmed or anxious or just like we want to be calm.
I hope this has provided some value for you.
And thank you so much for coming on this journey with me.
