Letting Go Of Stress & Anxiety - 20 Min Daily Insight

Anxiety is the most prevalent emotional suffering in the world. It interferes with sleep, increases the likelihood of chronic pain, and is often linked with depression. The good news is that meditation can dramatically shift our response to stress. This guided meditation draws on well-researched mindfulness, kindness and breath practices in cultivating inner calm and getting to sleep.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to the official launch of The Daily Insight. My name is Tara Brach and I am a teacher here on Insight Timer. Today's meditation focuses on relieving stress and anxiety and if you wish it can help you in getting to sleep. Please find a comfortable position and whether you are lying down or sitting you might experiment with placing one hand gently on your belly and resting the other hand on your heart. Become aware of your breathing and consciously lengthen the breath, A slow, Long in-breath, Breathing in and then slowly release the breath so the length of the exhale is matched with the length of the inhale. Breathing in again, A deep in-breath, Counting to five. And exhale, Releasing, Relaxing outward, Again counting to five. A long deep in-breath, Filling the chest and the lungs, Counting to five. And a slow out-breath, Slow enough so that you can feel the sensations of letting go. Breathing in deeply now, Again counting to five. Slow long out-breath, Counting to five. Continuing in this way with the matched in-breath and the matched out-breath. Breathing in this way, Matching the length of the in-breath with the length of the out-breath. Now allowing the breath to resume in its natural rhythm, Sense how fully you can relax with the inflow and with the out-flow, Just as it is, Witnessing this life-breath, Receiving it moment to moment. Continuing with relaxed breathing, Begin to scan through your body, Releasing any tension you might be carrying. You might allow the eyes to soften, Smiling into the eyes, Letting the outer corners of the eyes lift a little, Letting the brow be smooth, Bringing a slight smile to the lips, Letting the inside of the mouth smile, Allowing the tongue to fill the lower palate, Then relaxing down to the root of the tongue. Feeling relaxation and ease through the whole mouth, The lips, Gums, Teeth, Relaxed, Allowing the shoulders to fall away from the neck and filling the shoulders with awareness, You might sense a kind of dissolving from ice to water, Ice to water, And then water to the gas, Letting whatever tightness or tension might remain in the shoulders to float in awareness, Letting the hands rest in an easy and effortless way, And then softening the hands, Softening again and feeling from the inside out any tingling or vibrating, The aliveness and space inside the hands. Let your chest be open and you might bring the image and the felt sense of a smile to the heart, Letting a smile spread through the whole area of the chest. This is not to cover over but rather to create a space for whatever is here to be here, Easy and open. Continuing to bring the awareness deeper now into the torso, Letting this next breath be received in a softening belly, This breath and this one, And again. You might allow the image and the felt sense of a smile to spread through the belly, Relaxing and softening through the whole abdominal region, Letting relaxation and ease fill the pelvic area, Down through the legs, The feet. And now widening the attention, You might sense the whole body as a field of sensation, Sense floating in awareness, Safe and at ease. Sense, With the in-breath, That you are receiving a gentle flow of soothing, Healing energy from the universe. Let it bathe you and fill you completely. And with the exhale, Letting go into the universe, Sensing the sound and space around you, Releasing into this receptive openness. If there is any tension, Pain or fear in your body, Let the tender touch of your hand on your heart offer comfort. Send a stream of caring, Soothing energy to the place of discomfort. You might offer a message of care, Such as, I'm here. It's okay. You can relax. If you find your mind is drifted into thoughts, Gently relax open your attention, Listening to sounds around you, Letting go again through the body, Softening the shoulders, The hands, Relaxing your belly, Your heart, And again resting in the inflow and outflow of the breath. Continue breathing in, Receiving a soothing stream of energy. And breathing out, Letting go and entrusting yourself to a larger belonging. Life and at home in this flowing breath, At home in this moment, This life. If you find the mind has been wandering, Time traveling into the future or past, Let this be a moment of gently re-arriving, Coming back to this next in-breath or out-breath, Sensing how fully you can relax with this life-breath, Moment to moment. Feeling this breath as a home base, Breathing in healing, Calming energy from the universe, Letting go, Relaxing outward with the out-breath, Letting this life be held in the spaciousness of a larger belonging. Coming back again and again to gently rest in the breath, Like a raft gently moving with the waves, Peaceful and at home moment by moment in this changing life. You might sense how fully you can let go right now, Perhaps re-relaxing through the body, Letting go through the shoulders, Softening the hands, Relaxing your heart, Resting moment to moment in this breath, In this life. You might sense how fully you can let go right now, Re-relaxing the body, Perhaps softening and letting go in the shoulders, Relaxing and softening the hands, Relaxing your heart, Sensing what wants to be released, Letting go and relaxing back into the moment to moment flow. Breathing in, Receiving, Relaxing, Healing energy and breathing out, Releasing and letting go, Entrusting yourself to the waves, Safe and at home in this breath, At home in this moment, At home in this life. Namaste and blessings.

Reviews

Thank you Tara. That was a beautiful healing meditation.

I’ve followed Tara for 25 years and love her talks and meditations🙏

Thank you. I particularly appreciated the lack of background music and the pace of this meditation.

As someone who feels my anxiety very physically, I am feeling a noticeable relief in my body after this practice. Will definitely be listening this again!

Very relaxing and helpful. Made me feel much better than the state I was in! Thank you!