This is a meditation for when you are feeling negative emotions rising,
When you feel that momentum building and you are aware that the problem is becoming greater and greater.
So well done for acknowledging that it's time to nip that thought in the bud to try and stop it from gaining great momentum to bring yourself back to a feeling of being able to deal with whatever the situation is but in a more centered,
Balanced way.
So how are you breathing?
Is your breathing fast?
Is it shallow?
Is it irregular?
So the first thing we want to do is try and bring that back to a more gentler pattern.
So we're not trying to overly control the breath but we're just trying to slow it all down.
So the first thing that happens when we're feeling negative emotions,
Whether that's anger,
Whether that's upset,
Whether that's resentment,
Whether it's a feeling of bitterness,
Is often we feel our heart rate increase and our breathing increase.
All natural responses and all really easy to actually bring back down to a calmer,
More relaxing state.
Of course,
I'm not saying we can solve every problem with our breath but what I am teaching is that with a slower,
More relaxed,
Calmer breathing pattern,
We can approach whatever the situation is with a more grounded foundation.
So close your eyes,
Perhaps cover them with a blanket or a towel or a scarf just to try and block out the outside world momentarily.
Really becoming aware of your breathing,
Noticing your breathing,
Focusing on your breathing.
Our aim is just to come back to the breath to slow down the breathing.
So breathing in,
Breathing out,
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Seeing the rise and fall of the belly,
Like the wave on an ocean,
The beautiful dance of the belly rising and falling,
How wonderful this breath is,
How magnificent our bodies are to keep breathing in and breathing out.
Feeling stressed,
Feeling anxious is part of a human response and whilst we can't control external forces that create anxiety within our lives,
We can attempt at controlling our response to them.
We will always respond in a fairer,
Gentler kind of way if we can keep as calm as we can.
Know that you can always come back to your breath,
You can go and take yourself away for five minutes somewhere quiet.
Put your headphones in,
Find a quiet space,
Momentarily block out the outside world and bring yourself back to yourself.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
When you are ready,
Open your eyes,
Maybe stretch your arms,
Stretch your legs,
Stretch your jaw,
Bringing some energy,
Some physical energy back into the body.
Knowing that you can address whatever you need to address right now from a calmer,
More centered,
More balanced place.
Well done for coming to this practice today.
Thank you.
