Thank you for joining me today.
I wanted to do a meditation on some ways to release stress and worry because I think it's something we're all faced with in our daily lives.
When we feel overwhelmed,
Overworked,
Like we're spinning out,
We can take a little break and come back into this moment.
For me a lot of the stress and worry I feel is created in my mind.
It's not based on external circumstances.
It's created by me so really the only way to disentangle from it is by turning inward.
So in this meditation we'll be doing a few exercises that can help when you're feeling overwhelmed and in need of that break or when you're hit with stressful thoughts and feelings that just won't go away and need a few minutes to disengage from these thoughts and feelings.
These mindfulness techniques can be used in formal meditation but also at pretty much any time of day or night.
So let's begin by finding a comfortable position and gently closing our eyes.
Take a few moments to settle into your body and your surroundings.
What do you notice right now?
Acknowledge all of your senses,
Noticing any sounds,
Smells,
Tastes or sensations in your body that are calling for your attention.
Feel the weight of your body on your chair or wherever you are sitting.
Notice the temperature of the room.
How do your clothes feel resting against your body?
Check in with your hands wherever they are resting.
As you focus on your hands maybe they come alive.
Maybe you can feel the energy in your palms and your fingers.
And now check in with your feet.
If you were in a chair with your feet planted on the floor,
Can you feel yourself rooted to the earth?
Or if you were sitting cross-legged or lying down,
How does this position really feel?
Can you feel yourself being supported?
Now take a few deep breaths from your diaphragm and try to release all the tension in your body.
Notice how it feels as you inhale,
Filling your body with air and then how it feels to exhale,
Letting everything go.
Continue to breathe deeply with a slow and steady inhale and exhale.
This kind of breathing signals your parasympathetic nervous system to calm down.
So now that we have told our bodies it's time to slow down and to calm down,
Let's do a couple mindful breathing exercises.
Slowly inhale from your belly,
Feeling the air filling your ribs,
Your chest,
And finally up into the crown of your head.
And as you do this,
Count to five on your inhale.
Then hold your breath for a count of five at the top and exhale for a count of five,
Starting at the crown of your head,
Then to your chest,
Ribs,
And belly.
As you finish exhaling,
Pause for a moment,
Then begin again,
Inhaling counting to five,
Holding for five,
And exhale counting to five.
We'll do a few rounds of this breathing on our own,
But if the count of five seems too much,
You can count to three instead.
Now let your breath be natural again and check in with how you feel in this moment.
Are you beginning to feel a little more relaxed and at ease,
Or are you having a hard time letting everything go?
There's no right way to feel.
There's nothing to fix.
Just simply check in with your internal landscape in this moment.
As you sit here right now in the stillness,
Checking in with yourself,
You are already beginning to separate yourself from the stress and worry.
By simply focusing on your breath,
You are beginning to give yourself a little space and freedom that is needed to disentangle from your stress and worry.
Just try to set it all aside for the next few minutes.
Now if it feels comfortable,
Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly.
Notice how the breath feels,
The gentle rise and fall that happens all on its own.
Inhale through your nose,
Feeling your belly inflate,
And exhale feeling your belly fall.
Try to visualize any stress and tension draining out of your body on each exhale and stay with this breathing for the next few moments.
Really tuning in to how it feels to be breathing.
If your hands are resting on your belly and heart,
You can drop them back to your sides or in your lap and check in once more with how you're feeling in this moment.
Again there's no right or wrong way to feel.
Just notice how you are in this moment.
To wrap up this meditation,
I want to share a few positive affirmations with you that can be used at any time to disengage from stress and worry.
I use some of these gentle sayings throughout my day or when I wake up in the middle of the night and I can't go back to sleep.
A few kind words can give you some space when you are feeling overwhelmed,
Stressed,
Or worried as a way to bring yourself back to feel a little more centered,
Supported,
And grounded.
If these sayings don't resonate with you,
You can come up with your own as a way to care for yourself in any given moment.
I will be okay.
I am doing the best I can.
I accept myself as I am in this moment.
I have the strength to move beyond this moment of difficulty.
I am present in this moment.
I am patient.
I am brave.
I am strong.
I am right where I need to be.
I breathe in relaxation.
I breathe out tension.
I am becoming calmer with every breath I take.
I trust my inner voice.
I am at peace.
I am honored to be able to sit with you today to practice a few ways to release stress and worry.
I hope that some of these will help you when you are faced with this type of situation during your day,
And I also hope that we can connect again soon.
Take care.
