Presence For Depression

Using breath and body scan to step back from the potential heaviness and busy mind that comes with depression. We utilize this gentle meditation to practice presence and make space for relief from depression.

Transcript

Hello and welcome. My name is Sarah. Thank you for joining this meditation. We will be taking a presence practice for the relief from depression. We will be utilizing these tools to make space from what can feel like the density that sometimes depression can bring. It can be difficult to even invest in something like this. I understand. So you're doing a great job by taking action. So let's begin by taking a comfortable posture. This can be done seated, Lying down tucked in. So taking a few moments to adjust your seat and settle into stillness. Let's take a few refreshing deep breaths. Nice big inhale. Exhale through the nose or the mouth, Exhaling through the mouth. Letting the body become relaxed with each breath. Nice inhale and exhale. Again, One more. Let this wave of relaxation flow over you. Inhale and exhale. You're doing great. Let's take a body scan to invite an even greater sense of relaxation and offer a sense of receptivity. Create some spaciousness and some lightness to our being. Relaxing the brow, A spaciousness to the forehead, A softness to the cheeks, A relaxing quality to the hinge of the jaw. The throat is soft, Breath is flowing freely, A relaxed quality and spaciousness to the shoulders, A relaxed length to the entirety of the arms. Taking a moment to become aware of the hands, The openness to receive in the hands. Becoming aware of the upper chest, The heart space. We take a full breath in here, Feeling all the way to the top. Exhale it out. Awareness is in the belly now, Relaxed and easy with breath. Awareness is in the pelvis, A spaciousness here. Becoming aware of the length of the upper legs, The lower legs and the feet. A sense of the body as a whole now. Again, A lightness to our being as we feel ourselves being breathed, Relinquishing any grip or tightness we were formerly unaware of. We practice patience during these, What feels like, Can feel like troubling times. If the body in any place begins to pick up tension, Maybe a tightness in the chest or the diaphragm, We come back to this place with kindness. With kindness, We take a breath, Again enjoying that spaciousness. If the mind is very active, That's okay. We again use the tool of the breath as a way to come back into this sense of presence, A spaciousness in the busyness of thoughts, A sense of space between our well-being and the density of difficult emotions. We lean into ourselves with a heartfelt sense of acceptance. There is a knowing that all states of being change and that in this moment, We accept who we are right here and now, Being with and leaning into the love that is here, Bringing your awareness to the third eye space and the brow. We invite an uplifted quality to an internal gaze. And with your attention in this space, Just take a nice breath, Let it out, Slowly beginning to reawaken, Taking in a sense of your body as a whole. Keep that attention to the third eye as we refresh our energy, This moment, A gentle wiggle of fingers and the toes, Another fuller breath to rejuvenate. Nice inhale and exhale. Thank you so much for investing your time in this way. I hope these moments of quality time brought you a sense of gentleness and relief. May you have a blessed day.