In this daytime meditation for anxiety,
You will return to the familiar night watch garden during the daytime,
Realizing you can step into the garden to take a brief break and use this space to breathe and gather steadiness.
The big oak tree in the garden will teach you how to remain stable even when life feels chaotic around you.
Then you will be able to return to your day knowing whatever surrounds you can't touch your roots which are firmly grounded.
Welcome to The Whispering Willow.
I am Diana.
And today I will guide you through this brief daytime meditation to relieve the feeling of anxiety or overwhelm that causes us to feel we are existing in the middle of chaos.
I'm here to remind you that the night watch garden is here to help you self-soothe even in daylight.
It is not only a refuge for the nighttime,
It is a place of clarity for the daytime as well.
Daytime anxiety often feels like motion without stability.
The oak represents rootedness without rigidity.
It's not your job to fix your day or escape your day.
The only responsibility you have in this moment is to take a break to rediscover your roots.
This will allow you to work through your day while remaining flexible enough to remain undamaged by the chaos surrounding you.
Find a comfortable space to sit,
Remaining upright,
Your feet pressing firmly into the floor.
Rest your hands in your lap or on top of your thighs or at your sides.
Gently lengthen your spine and drop your shoulders.
Then take one deliberate breath,
Breathing in deeply,
Then giving an audible exhale,
Long and steady.
Today we are not drifting,
We are rooting.
Focus on the weight of your body and the support beneath your feet.
When everything feels urgent,
You become the tree.
You do not chase the wind,
You let it move around you.
You are standing in the familiar garden near the old oak tree.
You hear the familiar sound of the garden fountain gurgling brightly,
The chimes in the distance,
And a gentle rustling as the slightest breeze runs its fingers through the leaves every now and then.
This place is safe,
This place is familiar.
The sunlight shines brightly across the branches of the oak.
You place your hand on the rough bark of the large trunk and feel that it has been warmed by the sunshine.
It is scarred from age,
But it is more steady than ever.
The size of the branches and the depth of the leaves create deep pockets of shade beneath the tree.
You look up and see brightly colored birds sitting on the branches,
Basking in the morning light.
The owl you remember from your visit to the garden in the evening is resting now,
Secure within one of the cavities of this venerable tree created by age and time.
As you stand next to the tree,
Feel the strength of the earth beneath you and imagine roots extending from the soles of your feet deep down into the cool soil.
Your roots are wide and solid,
But they are unseen,
Just like the roots of the tree.
Stability is often invisible to those looking on from the outside,
But you are grounded,
Stable,
Steady.
Have confidence in your strength and solidity.
The tree is tall,
But not rigid.
In the same way the trunk supports the tree,
Your spine supports you,
Allowing you to move without breaking.
Life runs through the center of the tree,
Expanding out to each branch and leaf,
And breath and life move through your core,
Reaching out to your extremities,
Invisible,
But dependable,
Keeping you healthy and strong.
Your arms are relaxed,
Your shoulders soft,
But this doesn't mean you are weak or fragile.
In the same way the branches and leaves respond to the wind,
But the trunk remains unmoving,
You are strong enough to weather what happens around you without breaking.
The anxiety that threatens you today may feel strong like the gusting wind,
But no matter how strong the gusts of your day may feel,
They cannot uproot you when you are firmly rooted in confidence and peace.
Think about a current worry you have.
Now picturing yourself as a tree,
Just like the oak,
Feel your worry wash over you like a gust of wind,
Wrapping around your trunk,
But not moving it,
Filtering through your leaves,
But not damaging them.
See how the leaves are flexible enough to allow it to pass through.
Notice the wind never touches the roots of the tree.
In the same way,
This worry or concern may wash over you and wrap around you,
But it cannot get near your roots.
Stand sturdy and allow it to pass.
Take a deep breath,
Imagining the steadiness of your trunk.
Exhale,
Feeling your leaves rustle as you release your anxiety and watch it fall through the gaps between your branches to the ground below,
Carried away on the breeze.
The oak never argues with the wind or fights against it.
This practice will help you regulate your nervous system without suppressing your emotions.
You can come back to it anytime you are feeling anxious.
The oak doesn't eliminate the wind or weather.
It acknowledges it and lets it pass through and around.
The space beneath the oak is sacred and safe.
It is cool and shady,
Protecting from the sun,
Protecting from the rain.
Imagine a circle of shade around you now.
Nothing can enter this space that doesn't belong there.
You are in control.
You decide what comes into this space and what remains outside the space.
Focus only on the tasks that serve your best interests or your goals for the day,
Realizing there is a boundary that lies at the edge of the circle of shade through which emotions can only enter if you let them.
Allow the emotions that are helpful and keep out the emotions that are harmful or ineffective for achieving your goals.
Let them pass by.
Transition gently now from our meditation back to your space,
Keeping your eyes closed,
But moving your fingers,
Maybe pressing your feet into the surface beneath you.
Take a deep breath.
Remember that your roots remain even though you can't see them.
Your spine is firm and tall,
Just like the trunk of the oak.
Lengthen your spine and roll your shoulders down away from your ears.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes.
You are strong enough to face your day without it knocking you over.
The wind cannot move your trunk.
It can only filter through the spaces you allow it to enter.
You are strong.
You are in control.
You are capable.
When you feel scattered,
Remember you are grounded.
When you feel windblown,
Remember you are rooted.
When you feel overwhelmed,
Remember you are contained.
When you feel passive,
Remember you are strong.
The oak lives within a garden surrounding it.
It is surrounded by a wall of protection.
There are several layers of safety protecting it just as they protect you.
Continue breathing and return to your day with the confidence that you can withstand the chaos that may be surrounding you or the anxiety that may be threatening to overwhelm you.
You are solid as the oak.
