Hi everyone,
Welcome back to Your Journey Yoga.
My name is Natalia and today I will be guiding you through a meditation for when you're feeling overwhelmed.
For this practice I will recommend finding a little bit of extra support,
Whether that be a pillow,
A blanket,
A candle,
Some incense or maybe even some tea.
Just give yourself the opportunity to find something that will allow your nervous system,
The mind,
The body to know that the only thing you need to do right now is take care of you.
This practice can be done lying down or seated,
Whatever feels best.
Just give yourself a few moments to find what you need and we'll begin.
When you arrive in your meditation shape,
You can allow the eyelids to soften or close and we'll begin by just taking some super big deep breaths.
So inhale in through your nose and just allow that exhale to fall out of your mouth.
Another deep deep inhale in and a gentle slow exhale out through the mouth.
Let's do one more of those.
Inhaling in big and full and let the exhale soften through the mouth.
I want to acknowledge that even sitting down for this meditation might feel a little bit challenging considering the fact that you're feeling a bit overwhelmed and that's okay.
You don't need to feel immediately relaxed to do this practice.
That's why you're here.
So just take a moment to notice how the body feels as you arrive.
Tension,
Restlessness.
Also acknowledging any parts of the body that do feel relaxed and open.
Just taking inventory,
Gathering up information about how the body is doing right now.
And do your best not to label anything as good or bad.
Just receive.
Just notice and let the body know that you're listening.
That you are willing and able to be present with it right now.
And as you observe how the body is feeling,
If it feels intuitive to you to relax certain parts of the body,
You can begin to find a little bit of softening.
Relaxing the space between the brows.
Relaxing your jaw.
You may even notice how even if it's very very subtle,
The muscles,
The bones,
And the skin of the body begin to settle in to exactly where you are.
Gradually feeling more and more present and grounded in the body.
This may take some time.
The body may not feel relaxed in this practice for a little bit.
And that's okay.
We're just creating space for what is.
And that includes our overwhelm and how it's manifesting in the body.
Remember the breath is a powerful tool.
You can continue breathing big and full.
Lengthening the inhales.
Extending your exhales.
Allowing the breath to completely fill the body.
Considering the fact that you're feeling overwhelmed,
I would imagine the mind might feel a little busy right now.
And again,
That's okay.
We're just finding a state of observation.
We're just creating some space for everything that is.
Notice where the mind is going.
Notice the pace and the frequency at which thoughts are traveling in and out.
And maybe,
For now,
You imagine turning down a little volume knob on the activity of the thinking mind.
Letting it grow ever so slightly,
A little bit quieter.
Giving the mind permission to slow down with you.
The body can't be anywhere other than exactly where it is.
And give the mind an opportunity to slow down and realize that.
Remind the thinking mind that its only job right now is to be exactly where and as you are.
This may be a test of patience for you right now and that's okay.
If you had the time to hit play on this meditation,
That means that a part of you wants this to be a priority right now.
So let it be.
Let this act of self-care be your biggest priority of the moment.
Just for this short time,
You can allow the to-do list and all of the other things swirling around you fade into the background.
Just for now.
Your only job is to become aware of how you're feeling physically,
Mentally,
Emotionally.
Start to create a little bit of spaciousness within all of that.
Let a little light in.
Let a little ease in.
Give yourself permission to soften and be.
As thoughts trickle in and out,
As micro tensions rise and fall in the body,
Use your breath to remember to relax.
The breath can be as big and full as you want it to be.
You might imagine breathing all the way to the edges of your ribcage,
Down into your root,
Breathing up through the shoulders,
Up through the crown of the head,
And all the way down out through your feet.
Let the body be changed by the breath.
Let the mind be grounded by the breath.
Let your soul be soothed by the breath.
Taking the time to slow down,
To tune in,
And to be present with yourself is the only priority for you right now.
This is the only thing you need to do.
And remember that by taking this time for yourself,
You'll actually be able to better tend to the rest of the things you need to tend to.
When we are overwhelmed and we have overloaded our plates,
It is difficult to properly tend to the things we need to tend to in our lives.
This time you have chosen to take for yourself is valuable.
It is so important.
Let yourself rest and relax into the knowing that you are doing something vital for your well-being right now.
Continue to observe the body,
Allowing it to intuitively relax and soften in any way that it would like to.
Continue to be friendly with your mind,
Seeing it as an ally,
Something that's just trying to help you,
And give it permission to find some rest.
Some rest from thinking this incessant need to do.
If you find yourself in the fortunate position of drifting off here in this practice,
Just let it happen.
Let yourself dissolve into a more subconscious state.
Trust in whatever this practice needs to be for you.
We're going to do a little breathing and visualization exercise now.
On your next inhale,
I want you to imagine filling up your own internal cup with rest,
With joy,
With ease,
And abundance in all forms.
And as you exhale,
Imagine again just turning the volume down on the thinking mind,
On the to-do list,
On the swirling of events and things to do.
Inhale to fill your cup from the inside out,
And exhale to turn the dial down on anything you don't need to worry about right now.
Inhale,
Fill it up.
Exhale,
Dim it down.
Inhale,
Filling your cup.
Exhale,
Turn down the thinking mind.
Continue on your own,
Visualizing this however you want to,
Instilling trust in your process.
Just keep breathing.
After your next big inhale and exhale,
You can let the breath settle back into a natural rhythm.
Begin to observe any sounds around you,
Maybe wiggling your fingers and your toes a little bit,
Waking yourself back up to the room.
And if you feel ready,
You can very slowly,
Very gently blink your eyes open.
Let yourself return.
And know that this practice is here for you in any moment that you begin to feel overwhelmed again.
Thank you for taking this time to pause and to be with yourself.
I hope that you feel more clear,
More grounded,
And more prepared to take on whatever it is that you have before you.
You are capable,
You are strong,
And you've got this.
I'll see you in the next practice.
Namaste.
