During this mindfulness training we will be using the MIDL skill of deconditioning emotional charge from thoughts and memories.
If you are currently experiencing anxiety,
Please only do this mindfulness training with supervision from a trained professional.
If you just start out by taking your meditation posture and closing your eyes over lightly,
Start to be aware of what it feels like just to be here.
Becoming aware of any sounds around you.
Allowing the change within the sound to hold your attention.
Allowing you to be aware of what it feels like just to be here.
Now,
Starting to become aware of your body.
Becoming aware of what it feels like just to sit here.
Start to become aware of any warmth or coolness within your body,
Holding them gently in mind.
Allowing you to be aware of what it feels like just to be here.
Also becoming aware of the pressure of your body as it rests on the chair or on the floor.
Just fully aware of what it feels like just to sit here.
Present.
Allowing you to be aware of what it feels like just to be here.
Now bringing your hands together,
Placing one gently within the other.
Starting to become aware of the touch of your hands.
Becoming aware of the experience of warmth,
Of coolness,
Of pressure.
Holding them gently in mind.
Allowing you to be aware of what it feels like just to be here.
Start to notice how the experience of the touch of your hands hold your attention present.
Allowing you to be aware of the experience of the touch of your hands.
Notice how simple being here is.
Allowing you to be aware of the experience of the touch of your hands.
Now I'd like you to bring to mind a memory.
A memory of an unpleasant experience from your past.
Gently holding that memory within your mind.
Notice that when you hold this memory gently in mind,
There is an emotional response within your body.
Maybe you feel tightening around the base of your throat.
Pressure or tightness within your upper chest,
Your stomach.
Start to notice the separate sensations within the emotion within your body.
Now start to notice how these sensations within the emotion have an unpleasantness to them,
An unpleasant flavour or taste.
And using slow,
Deep,
Gentle breaths deep in your belly,
I'd like you to soften by breathing out slowly through your nose with each out breath.
Softening,
Relaxing into that unpleasant feeling.
Start to notice how the feeling of unpleasantness starts to soften with each out breath.
Notice how it starts to fade.
And notice how it starts to soften with each out breath.
Now bring your awareness back to the touch of your hands.
Start to notice the simplicity of being present.
Just here and just now.
In this presence,
This simplicity,
You have no problems.
And notice how it starts to soften with each out breath.
Now I'd like you to bring that same memory to mind again.
Let unpleasant memory and holding it gently within your mind.
Bringing your awareness to the feeling of that memory.
Start to notice how the emotional response from that memory begins to arise within your body again.
Maybe you feel it in the base of your throat,
In your upper chest or in your belly.
Notice the different sensations within this emotion.
Maybe you feel hardness or tightness or pressure.
Notice the unpleasant flavour,
The unpleasant taste that permeates the sensations.
Now using slow deep gentle breaths,
Softening with each out breath through your nose.
Allow yourself to soften,
Relax into that feeling.
Not trying to make it go away,
But softening,
Relaxing your relationship towards it.
Accepting that feeling,
Allowing it to be.
Start to notice how the feeling of unpleasantness starts to soften with each out breath.
Notice how it starts to fade.
Not trying to make it go away,
But softening with each out breath.
Now bring your awareness back to the touch of your hands.
Start to notice the simplicity of being present,
Just here and just now.
In this presence,
This simplicity,
You have no problems.
Now one more time I'd like you to bring that same memory to mind.
Holding that memory gently within your mind.
Notice now when you bring this memory to mind,
The emotional response within your body has started to weaken.
Start to notice the feeling of unpleasantness,
That unpleasant flavour or taste that permeates the sensations.
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And now using slow deep gentle breaths,
Breathing out slowly through the nose on the out breath,
I'd like you to soften,
Relax into that feeling of unpleasantness.
Not trying to make the unpleasant feeling go away,
But softening,
Relaxing into your relationship towards it.
Softening,
Relaxing into the feeling,
Accepting it,
Allowing it to be.
Not trying to make the unpleasant feeling go away,
But softening,
Relaxing into the feeling,
Not trying to make the unpleasant feeling go away,
Not trying to make the unpleasant feeling go away,
Not trying to make the unpleasant feeling go away,
Not trying to make the unpleasant feeling go away,
Not like you to bring your awareness back into your body,
Into the experience of just sitting here,
The warmth,
The coolness,
The touch.
Becoming very present within your body.
Start to notice the simplicity of being present,
Just here and just now.
In this presence,
This simplicity,
You have no problems.
Everything is okay.
Now I'd like you to bring a pleasant memory to mind.
Holding that pleasant memory gently within your mind.
Bringing your awareness to the pleasantness of that memory.
Notice that when you do this,
The pleasant feeling starts to arise throughout your body.
When you're ready,
Put it back into the rest of the body,
In short,
The Now making a half smile on your face,
Encourage that pleasant feeling to grow.
Engage that pleasant feeling to fill every cell of your body.
Now use some slow gentle softening breaths.
To breathe that feeling of pleasantness down your arms.
Breathing out.
Breathing that feeling of pleasantness into your head,
Your chest,
Your upper back.
Breathing out.
Breathing that feeling of pleasantness into your belly.
Breathing out.
Breathing it down into your legs and your feet.
Breathing that experience of pleasantness throughout.
Breathing that experience of pleasantness throughout the whole of your body.
Breathing out.
Breathing out.
Breathing out.
Breathing out.
Now bringing your awareness back into your body.
Now aware of what it feels like just to sit here.
Starting to open up to sounds around you and allowing the sounds to come into you.
And when you're ready you can gently open your eyes.
Thank you for spending this time meditating with me.
Take care of yourself and have a wonderful day.
And goodbye.
