Meditation For Anxiety

Breathing and body scan meditation to help with anxiety and worry, to come to a peaceful, calm place. We tend to build up anxiety in our minds and bodies so this meditation will help process this anxiety and help you be at peace.

Transcript

Hi, This is Timothy Long and I'm going to lead you through a meditation, Especially for those of you that are suffering with anxiety or have some deep worries or just really upset. Though anyone can listen to this meditation and benefit because the intention is for very deep, Deep relaxation and to bring you to a deep sense of presence. So to get started, You can lie down or sit. Just be comfortable. Whatever makes you comfortable, You don't have to sit in any special way. As long as you feel supported and you can really just let go of all your muscles and relax. So get yourself in a comfortable position and your eyes can be open, They can be closed. You can, You know, If they're open, Softly focus on something and start to follow your breath. Notice it. Don't try to change it at this point. Just notice it. So notice if it's tight, Notice if the in-breath is shorter or longer than the out-breath. We're just taking an inventory. Keep part of your focus on your breath. They'll also start to scan your body. Again, Just taking an inventory. We're not trying to change anything, Nothing that's right or wrong. You're just noticing, Just observing. Just send your mind through your limbs, Through your legs, Just kind of a first scan through your arms, Up and down your back, Your front, Face and head and scalp. Just notice where you're tight, Notice where you can feel energy, Notice where you just don't notice anything. Now we're going to take a series of three deep breaths and I just want you to pull in a really deep breath by opening up your abdomen and just pushing it out, Taking in a lot of air and then your chest, Filling it all the way to the top. Then I want you to blow it out through your lips, Just blow the air out. And again, Long deep breath, Filling up your abdomen, Filling up your chest until you can't get any more air and then blow it out forcefully through your lips, Really pulling in your abdominal muscles, Getting all the air out. Now letting your abdominal muscles let go, Pushing them out and filling up your entire abdomen, Your whole tummy, Fill it up and fill up your chest, Side ribs. You can't get any more air. One more time, This time really blow out all that air, Pulling your stomach muscles, Your diaphragm, Get out every bit of air. Now just let it go, Allow yourself just to start to breathe in a deep rhythm, Deep, Even, Slow rhythm. Long in breath and a long out breath. Now just in your nose and out your nose. Try to keep the in breath and out breath at least the same length. It's actually better to let your out breath be a little bit longer. Signals your mind to relax. You're safe, Calm, Secure. In fact begin to image yourself in a very safe, Secure place that may be exactly where you are right now. Or it may be some place you've been, Place you love to be. Image yourself there. You can have anything there you want. Pets, Plants. Any temperature, Any type of weather you want to experience. It can be a place of fantasy or a place you've actually been. Keep up the long rhythmic breathing and begin to feel the weight of your body. On your chair, On the cushion, On your bed, On your couch, Wherever your body is touching feel the places in your body. Sense them. They're making contact with anything physical. Even when your hands and arms are resting, Even if they're resting on your own body. That's a place of contact. Keep scanning your body, Sensing, Feeling the places that you're making physical contact with anything. Keeping up the long rhythmic breathing. Picturing, Sensing. It's beautiful, Safe, Secure place. Allow an inner smile to come across your face. Allow your cheeks to just widen, Like you have a grin. Your eyes are sparkling and you're just feeling really, Really happy. Really good. Let that smile flow down through your whole body, Down through your heart, Down your arms and legs. Feeling your whole body, Even the weight of your body now getting even heavier, Allowing the surface that's holding you to really caress you, To really take hold of you, To allow yourself to let go. Again, Noticing your breath, The rhythm of your breath. You can now let go of your breath. Let your breathing just be on its own. The waves, The seashore, The gentle waves coming in, The water rolling up onto the beach, And then rolling out slowly, Slowly out. It's like your breath, Natural rhythm. Really nature is breathing you, The universe is breathing you. Just allow it to happen. Again, Scan your body. Feel all the places in your body. All your skin, All your muscles, All your bones, To your deep, Deep core. Look for, Find, Enjoy, Imagine. Your whole being in deep, Deep calm peace. In your mind, Tell yourself, Tell your whole self, Be still. Be at peace. Be calm. You're safe. Right now, You're safe. You can even expand out your awareness. Expand the field of energy in front of you. You can push it out, Across the room, Up to the ceiling, Even out much farther. And push the energy back, Down behind you, All the way back. Open up your field of energy. And to the left side, Push it out, Push it out. Like you're inside a beautiful orb of light. And you can just expand out, Expand out. To the right, Pushing out, As far out as feels comfortable. And below you, Down, Down, Down, Down into the earth. Allow yourself to ground down into the earth. Push your energy field down. Allow the earth to support you. And expand upward, Up to the ceiling, Up to the sky, Include the stars if you like. Open your breath on its own, Just on its own breathing. Nothing for you to do. Sense your body. Stay with your body. Again, Sense all the points of contact. Let your mind flow through your whole body, Feeling everything. There's tightness or anxiety. Just notice it. Just caress it with your mind. Perhaps say to it, I love you, I accept you, It's okay. To your whole self, Say in your mind, I love you, I accept you, It's okay. You're enough. I'm enough. I'm enough just as I am. Feel that. Feel that throughout your whole being, Your whole expanded being, With your whole connection, Your whole connection to nature, Life. However you recognize and see God, Source energy, Divine love, The Buddha self, The Christ self, Just pure nature, Whatever you believe. Just allow yourself to rest. Be still. Be one. Be whole. Be one.