Welcome my name is Yvonne and I'll be guiding you through the meditation which will assist you in reducing anxiety today.
Meditation is a powerful but gentle tool to manage anxiety by calming the mind and the body and by grounding you in the present moment.
It promotes a sense of inner peace and cultivates the ability to observe your thoughts when you feel your mind is racing away from you.
Taking a moment to switch your devices to silent.
Relaxing into a comfortable position with your back supported,
Allowing your head to rest naturally unsupported.
Knowing you can adjust your position at any time during our time together.
Giving yourself a little imaginary pat on the back or placing your hand on your heart or your leg to acknowledge the effort you've made to carve out this time for yourself.
And becoming aware of how you're feeling at this moment.
Just noticing how you feel,
Not trying to change it or label it in any way.
This is you time.
There's nothing on your to-do list at this moment other than to be here now and gently floating your eyes closed.
Bringing your awareness to your breath now,
Not trying to change it in any way or wish for it to be different.
Just resting your awareness upon your breath.
Noticing what it's doing.
Perhaps it's slightly cool on the inhale and warmer on the exhale.
Deepening your breath now.
On the next exhale allowing a little more air out.
Then taking a cleansing long deep breath in as far as you can.
And all the way out.
Continuing on your own with a few more of those with a nice sigh on the exhale if you like.
Noticing if you're feeling any anxiety right now or perhaps remembering the moment of anxiety that you experienced recently that brought you to this meditation.
Allowing these feelings to be there.
Just noticing them for this moment.
Knowing and understanding these feelings will pass just as they have before.
But just allowing them for now.
Continuing with the long cleansing deep breaths in and out.
Bringing your awareness to where you're feeling anxiety at this moment or where you feel it when it comes up.
Is it in your chest?
Perhaps your belly?
Your throat?
Your head?
Or anywhere else?
Bringing your hand to that place if that feels right for you.
Continuing with these cleansing breaths.
And this time breathing into this place you feel anxiety.
Gently and deeply breathing.
Imagining some space that you're creating around that place of anxiety.
Allowing the feelings to be there.
Holding those feelings with compassion.
Breathing in space around that spot.
Remembering you are not your feelings.
These feelings are passing through you like clouds in the sky.
Continuing with the cleansing breaths in and out.
As you notice your mind beginning to drift away.
Projecting into the future.
Racing away from you.
Gently and effortlessly without any judgement at all.
Bringing your awareness back to your anchor.
Which is your breath and breathing some space around that spot of anxiety right now.
Taking one more deep cleansing breath in and out.
And returning your breath to its natural rhythm.
Releasing your hand if you had placed it somewhere.
Bringing your awareness to a scan of your body now.
Beginning with the bottom of your feet and how they feel resting on the floor or the surface that they're on.
Just noticing the sensations in your feet.
No need to change them or wish for them to be different or label them in any way.
Just noticing how your feet are feeling.
As you breathe in imagine you're breathing in through the bottom of your feet.
And as you breathe out imagining any tension in your feet being released with that breath.
Down and out through your feet.
Moving now to your legs and hips and how they feel on the surface beneath them.
Becoming aware of just how they feel and imagining breathing in through your legs.
And releasing any tension from your legs and hips on your breath out.
Becoming aware now of your belly and chest and back.
Noticing how they feel against the surfaces that they're touching.
How your clothing feels on your skin.
Noticing any tension you feel there.
And as you breathe into your chest and back and belly noticing how that feels.
And intending to release any tension with your long breath out.
Continuing up to your shoulders and neck and noticing how they feel in this moment.
Breathing deeply into your shoulders and neck.
And relaxing them even slightly with each breath out.
Bringing your awareness now to your head and face.
Noticing how they feel.
Breathing in and imagining the cleansing air filling your entire head and swirling around all the crevices.
And with each breath out releasing any stagnant energy.
Relaxing your eyes,
Your tongue and lips.
Becoming aware of your entire body as a whole with one more deep cleansing breath in.
And gently let that go.
I invite you now to rest your awareness on a mantra as your anchor.
If you prefer you can continue to use your breath as your anchor as we did at the beginning of our practice.
Today we'll use the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum.
Om Mani Padme Hum.
Unless you have your own mantra to use already.
Repeating your own mantra or Om Mani Padme Hum silently in our mind over and over and over during the meditation.
The meaning of this particular mantra is the jewel in the lotus.
And it refers to the fact that a beautiful lotus flower grows from the mud and we are the jewel in that lotus flower.
Without mud we do not grow.
Meditating with this mantra can cultivate a sense of sparkling pure compassion for ourselves and others.
Really assisting with anxiety.
However the mantra changes in your mind while you're silently repeating it over and over is okay.
It might speed up,
Slow down,
Become louder or quieter.
You may even forget it and that's okay.
You might even jumble it up.
The intention is what matters.
You may find yourself drifting away from your anchor,
Either your mantra or your breath,
To thoughts or sounds or feelings or physical sensations and that's all okay.
It's to be expected and in fact it's a part of the process.
The moment you notice you've floated away just float gently and effortlessly back to your anchor.
If you forget the mantra gently resting your awareness back on your breath.
I'll manage the time and when you hear the three chimes just continue to sit comfortably.
So let's begin.
Silently repeating Om Mani Padme Hum in your mind.
Om Mani Padme Hum.
Om Mani Padme Hum.
Om Mani Padme Hum.
Letting go of your breath or your mantra as your anchor and simply resting for these last few minutes while you allow the effects of the meditation to continue to slowly sink in.
You may choose to stay exactly as you are or recline into a more comfortable position.
There's nothing to do here but relax.
I'll tell you when it's time.
Taking a few deep cleansing breaths in and out now as you come back into your space.
Gently wiggling your toes and fingers and tuning into any part of your body that's calling for a stretch or a wiggle.
Being gentle with yourself and bringing an awareness to how your body is feeling right now in this present moment.
When you're ready opening your eyes gently.
Becoming accustomed to the space you're in.
And perhaps bringing your hands up to either side of your precious face.
Feeling their warmth on your skin.
Silently reminding yourself you're okay right now.
In this moment you're safe.
You're okay.
Thanking yourself for this precious gift of time carved out of your day.
Remembering you can return to this mantra or the breathing exercises or even try bringing your hands up to your face to assist in grounding yourself in the present moment the next time you're noticing any anxiety.
I really look forward to having you join me again for the next practice.
Go gently.
