Workday Meditation: When You’re About To Meltdown

When you are on the verge of a meltdown, it can help to release some tension. This guided practice gets you fully into your body and helps you to get out of the fight/flight/freeze/appease stress response.
Background music used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0); “Undertow” by Scott Buckley.

Transcript

Let's take a tiny step back and release a little steam before you blow.

Come into your body,

Stand up,

Feet in a wide stance.

Inhale your shoulders forward and up,

And exhale them down your back.

Three more.

Inhale them up,

Exhale them down.

Inhale,

Exhale.

Last inhale,

And exhale.

Lower your chin to your chest,

And take three neck rolls to the right.

Then switch directions and do three rolls to the left.

Raise your arms above your head,

Palms face away from each other.

Press your arms wide out to the sides as you lower them,

Really pressing against the air on the way down.

Let's add the breath.

Inhale,

Arms straight up overhead.

Exhale,

Press them wide.

Exhale,

Press.

Exhale,

Press.

Now shake your arms vigorously,

Like you're trying to shake your hands.

Release and pause.

If you feel like you're losing your breath,

Pause.

If you're able,

Jump up and down five times.

Two.

Stand in a wide stance,

Raise your arms up so your body makes the shape of a capital X.

Tilt your head back,

And look up.

Breathe three rounds of breath here.

In through the nose,

And out the mouth.

Head to neutral.

Sit down or stay standing.

Close your eyes.

Repeat these words silently or out loud.

Control my thoughts.

I control my words.

I control my actions.

Awareness to your inner self.

There is a version of you who exists in the future who has made it through this situation.

Be with that version of yourself.

Soak up their wisdom and reassurance.

Knowledge that you will find a way through the experience at hand.

Awareness to your feet.

Feel them rooted,

Sturdy,

Stable.

Draw in the cool,

Grounded energy of the earth.

Your legs,

Hips,

Belly,

Torso,

Chest,

Neck,

Head.

Inhale,

Exhale,

Open your eyes.