Breathing Anchor For Anxiety: 40-Minute Guided Practice

Welcome.

Take your time and get your body completely comfortable and supported.

On whatever surface you happen to be resting on.

Just taking a moment to adjust any pillows or perhaps even adding an extra blanket.

Settling in and notice just how relaxed your body and mind begin to feel.

Good,

That's right.

Today I'll be taking you on a journey.

A relaxing breathing meditation to quiet your mind and relax your mind,

Body and soul.

This is a truly unique experience you are cultivating right now.

Meditative meditations combined with the breath help facilitate the theta brainwave state which is a magical state to be in,

Combining deep focus with deep rest.

Just continue settling in and relaxing deeply.

And listen to the sound of my voice.

And as you continue to sink into your experience,

My voice will go with you.

And every other sound you hear will just serve to relax you further.

This mindfulness meditation practice is your breathing anchor practice.

Where you root your awareness into the present moment.

Like an anchor that roots a ship to one place.

This practice will help you to dissolve anxiety,

Reduce stress,

Reduce inflammation and allow the body to heal in a relaxed,

Peaceful state.

So now,

Notice your body and allow your body to settle.

To rest down as your body floats,

Feeling fully supported.

And gently close your eyes just as soon as you wish.

And allow your awareness to settle.

And let's start by relaxing all of your muscles.

Starting with the muscles around your ears,

Relax.

The muscles in your forehead,

Relax.

The muscles around your eyes,

Relax.

The muscles in your cheeks,

Relax.

The muscles around your mouth,

Relax.

The muscles in your jaw,

Relax.

The muscles in your scalp,

Relax.

The muscles at the base of your skull,

Relax.

The muscles in your neck and shoulders,

Relax.

The muscles up and down your back,

Relax.

The muscles in your bottom and pelvis,

Relax.

The muscles in your stomach and chest,

Relax.

The muscles in your arms,

Hands and fingers,

Relax.

And the muscles in your legs,

Feet and toes,

Relax.

And gradually allow your awareness to gather around the sensations of the breath in your body.

Where do you feel the breath most strongly?

And be curious about this experience.

Letting go of what you think should be happening.

And surrendering to the moment.

Just being with your experience,

Without judgment.

And you can notice my words.

And notice noticing my words.

And notice noticing your body can relax.

And your mind can relax.

And your mind has become very sensitive to the relaxing sounds of my voice.

There's nowhere to go.

There's nothing to do.

There is no past.

There is no future.

There is no judgment.

There is only the present.

There is only your breath,

Body,

Mind and soul in this present moment.

Now,

Can you sense the energy of space around your body in space?

And can you feel the volume of space that your body occupies in space?

And can you notice the energy of space around your shoulders in space?

And can you feel the volume of space that your shoulders occupy in space?

Now,

Just imagine,

Only imagine now that you can sense all of the gravity beneath you.

This gravity can just pull all of the tension from the entirety of your body down into the earth.

Just imagine,

Only imagine now sensing that gravity underneath.

Gently pulling away all of the tension so that you can relax easily and effortlessly.

That's right.

That's right.

Now,

Very gently rest your awareness within the whole torso.

Can you feel your belly rising on the in-breath?

And subsiding on the out-breath?

And can you feel any movement or sensations with the breath in the sides and the back of the body as well?

And gradually settle in and inhabit your body a little more deeply.

With that beautiful sense of kind curiosity towards whatever you're experiencing as you breathe.

Remember to be accepting of whatever's happening,

Whatever is unfolding,

Total surrender to the moment.

See if you can cultivate a precise awareness of the sensations and movement of the breath in the body.

As they happen.

Moment by moment.

Being careful not to force anything.

But rather just allow.

Just allow total awareness and being utterly receptive to the body as it rests upon the natural movement of the breath in the body.

And allow the breath to be saturated with loving-kindness as it rocks and cradles you.

As it cradles the body.

Bringing comfort and relaxation.

Soothing any stress,

Pain or discomfort you may feel.

Now become aware of any thoughts or emotions that you are experiencing.

And remembering that mindfulness isn't about removing all thoughts.

It's absolutely natural and normal to think.

Rather mindfulness is the training whereby you cultivate awareness of everything that is happening.

Physically,

Mentally and emotionally.

We do this so that you can gradually change your perspective and notice and feel and know that you have far more choices in how you feel.

And how you relate to life than you previously thought.

Can you look at your thoughts and emotions rather than from them?

Can you be aware of what you're thinking and feeling without resistance,

Judgment or overwhelm?

And remember,

Thoughts are not facts,

Even though we often think that they are.

You are not your thoughts.

You are a person who is experiencing thoughts.

And you can watch them come and go like clouds in the sky.

As you continue to cultivate your awareness and develop perspective on your thoughts and emotions.

You begin to understand how they come and go like clouds in the sky.

Notice how they're continually changing one moment to the next.

Exactly the same way that your breath is always changing.

You are not your thoughts.

You are a person who is experiencing thoughts.

And your thoughts and emotions are not as fixed and solid as you perhaps thought.

Using awareness of the movement and sensations of the breath in your body as an anchor for the mind over and over again.

Follow the breath all the way in.

And all the way out.

And each time your awareness wanders as it will.

Simply note this and return to the breathing anchor time after time after time.

Moment by moment.

Making sure you are kind,

Loving and patient with yourself.

Even if you have to start again a hundred times.

It's okay.

That's right.

This is exactly what this training is all about.

And remember that each time you notice you've wandered.

It's a magic moment of awareness.

A moment where you've woken up from a distraction.

A moment of choice.

So when you catch yourself having wandered off.

You are succeeding in the practice.

Just as you are succeeding when you manage to stay with the breath.

And now,

Just imagine,

Only imagine now.

That you are floating up amongst the clouds.

And with each out breath.

You gently continue floating upwards.

Supported by the softest of warm breezes.

And it all seems totally normal to you.

Absolutely natural.

And what I'd like you to do now is.

As you continue to focus on your breath.

Take each thought that comes into your mind.

And place it on a cloud in front of you.

And watch it breeze away.

Which takes you back to your breath each and every time.

That's right.

Feeling the beautiful support of the clouds beneath you.

As you float in this ethereal setting.

Watching the birds fly amongst you.

Feeling the gentle warmth of the sun.

Feeling the support of the gentle warm breezes.

What is happening now?

What are you thinking?

Just note this without judgment.

And place it on a cloud.

Which guides you back to your awareness.

Back to the sensations of the breath and the body.

Over.

And over.

And over.

Again.

And over.

Again.