Hi this is Jessica of the Lotus Pond.
Welcome to your moment of intentional pause.
Stress is a part of being alive,
Being human.
Every being on this earth has to deal with it,
Even plants and animals.
A healthy dose of stress can be helpful,
Moving us towards growth and potential.
Studies have shown that short term stress can boost our immune system,
Making us stronger.
But too much of it,
Such as chronic stress,
Where we're constantly stressed,
Can work the opposite way,
Draining our energy,
Holding us back,
And too much of it can cause daily dysfunction,
Or worse,
Serious health problems.
So today we're going to tackle stress through breathing,
Starting from an easy breath work,
Then extending our breath throughout our whole body.
So let's begin.
Before we begin,
First check with your current level of stress.
On a scale of 1 to 10,
With 10 being the highest,
How would you rate your stress level right now?
And as you examine your stress,
Notice where you feel it in your body the most.
How does stress feel in your body?
How would you describe it?
Or do you feel your stress deeper inside of you,
In your head,
In your emotions?
Just gently notice that feeling.
And now with compassion for yourself,
Let's begin.
So settle into a quiet,
Safe,
Nurturing space around you and within you.
Get into a comfortable seat or lie down if that feels best.
And as you continue to settle into a relaxing space,
See if there's anything more you can do to make yourself even more comfortable.
What do you need?
And as you settle into a relaxed position,
Just release the weight of your body into the ground.
Notice the connection between you and the surface below you.
Relax the back of your legs,
The back of your hips,
Your lower back to mid-back,
Your whole back.
Relax.
Relax your shoulders,
The back of your arms,
The back of your neck,
And the back of your head.
Adjust if you need to and just relax the body fully into the ground and surface beneath you.
Relax the muscles of your face.
Relax your eyes and your forehead.
Relax your temples and your cheeks.
Relax your mouth and your jaw.
Relax your whole face.
Now let's begin to breathe.
I will guide you in a box breathing method.
So breathing in three counts,
Holding on top three counts,
Exhaling three counts while holding at the bottom three counts.
Follow me.
Breathe in,
Two,
One.
Hold at the top,
Two,
One.
Let go,
Two,
One.
Hold at the bottom,
Two,
One.
Breathe in,
Two,
One.
Hold at the top,
Two,
One.
Release,
Two,
One.
Hold at the bottom.
Now try it one more time on your own.
Now place your hands on your belly and feel the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe in and out.
Noticing each inhale and exhale as it exits the body.
Let your breathing be soft,
Full,
And easy.
No effort,
No force.
Let your body breathe.
You may even want to silently say in your mind,
With each inhale,
Let,
And each exhale,
Go.
So inhale,
Let,
And exhale,
Go.
Continue to observe your breath.
I'm just letting your body sink deeper and deeper into relaxation.
Now bring your awareness to your feet,
Feeling the bottoms of your feet,
All your toes.
And now imagine that you are breathing through the soles of your feet.
So with each inhale,
You are breathing through the soles of your feet.
And with each exhale,
You're letting go through the bottoms of your feet.
Inhale in,
And exhale out.
Inhale in,
Exhale,
Release.
Now bring your awareness to the palms of your hands.
Feel the back,
The front of your hands and all your fingers.
And bring your breath now through your hands.
Inhaling through the palms of your hands,
And exhaling.
Imagine the breath leaving through the palms of your hands.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathe out and relax,
Softening your hands.
Now bring your awareness,
Bring your breath to your belly.
And just feel the belly rise and fall as you breathe.
Imagine now that you can inhale and exhale through the navel,
Through your belly button.
So with each breath in,
You are breathing in through your belly button.
With each exhale out,
You are letting go through your belly button.
So breathe in and breathe out.
Breathe in and let go.
Let your mind relax deeper and deeper with each inhale and exhale.
Let your mind and body go.
Come back now to your whole body.
And notice how your body is supported by the ground below you.
Notice how nice it is to be supported and how easy it is to be in your body at this moment.
Feeling fully supported in this pose and in all areas of your life.
And if you'd like at this very moment,
Feel free to set an intention.
Perhaps how you'd like to feel after this meditation,
Or how you'd like to go about your day or your week.
Just allow the word or energy to naturally come through.
And take a moment to soak it all in with each inhale and exhale.
And when you're ready to begin moving out of this meditation,
Gently move your fingers and your toes.
Allow the sensation to spread into your hands and feet,
Into your whole body.
Stretch and move in ways that feel good.
And when you're ready,
Roll to your side and just rest there for a moment.
May you take the best feeling of this relaxation with you for the rest of your day.
Feel free to share your thoughts or reflections with me by simply reaching out.
Blessings.
