Hi,
This is Brett.
Everyone experiences stress.
Stress is often uncomfortable and can disrupt our daily lives.
However,
Stress is a part of normal life.
From a scientific perspective,
Stress activates our sympathetic nervous system,
Which controls hormones like adrenaline.
The sympathetic nervous system is associated with survival and activates our fight or flight mode.
Emotion is the hormone that speeds up our heart rate and our breathing and increases blood flow to our muscles to prepare to face a threat.
After the danger of the moment subsides,
The counterpart of the sympathetic nervous system,
Known as the parasympathetic nervous system,
Becomes active to relax the body and the mind.
Stress is normal.
It's hard-wired into our bodies.
It's part of our lives.
But if it becomes persistent,
It can disrupt the balance between our body and mind,
Creating mind loops or reoccurring thoughts that are not helpful.
Grounding ourselves and our body can help reestablish the connection between the body and the mind.
According to traditional Chinese medicine theory,
The sympathetic nervous system correlates with yang energy.
Yang is associated with greater activity and heat,
While yin energy is its counterpart and would be reflective of the parasympathetic nervous system.
In this meditation,
We will use traditional Chinese medicine theory and concentrate on acupuncture points to ground us in our bodies and restore the balance between the body and the mind,
The sympathetic yang energy and the parasympathetic yin energy.
Let me explain how the energy will course during this meditation.
We will start at the top of the head and move to the central point on the forehead between the eyes.
We will then move the energy to the upper trap muscles.
These are the shoulder muscles that you use to shrug.
The point here is midway between the center of the body and the end of the shoulder.
Next we will move the energy below the knee on the outside of the shin bone.
This point is located a hand breath below the knee.
Feel free to take your hand and measure where that would be on your body.
We will end the meditation by focusing on a point on the top of the foot between the big toe and the second toe,
Just behind the bend of the toes.
Bend your toes and note where this point is located.
Take this time to settle into a comfortable position.
While you're welcome to assume any position to further the visualization journey of this meditation practice,
I recommend laying on your back or sitting with your feet together in front of you.
Cross-legged is not the best position for this practice.
Start by feeling your body in contact with the surface beneath you.
We will use the next few moments to perform deep breathing.
Feel free to close your eyes.
Breathing can help relax the body and prepare you mentally for meditation.
Let's begin by taking a deep breath in through the nose and exhaling out through the mouth.
Inhale through the nose and exhale out through the mouth.
Inhale through the nose and exhale out through the mouth.
You may resume your natural breathing pattern.
Let's bring our focus to the top of the head.
Yang heat rises.
The top of the head is abundant in Yang energy.
Stress disrupts the flow of energy in our bodies,
Creating Yang heat,
Which rises to the head.
Allow yourself to feel the warm heat energy on top of your head.
When you are ready,
Allow the Yang heat energy to be released into the atmosphere,
Just as steam is released from warm water.
We cannot control the stress in our lives,
But we can control our relationship to our stress.
Recognize at this moment you have nothing to do.
You have nowhere to go.
You are free to be at peace and at ease.
How do you feel in this moment?
Sense the energy at the top of your head.
Does it have a shape or a color?
Does it have a texture?
Is it warm or cool?
Does it have a bright or soft glow?
When you are ready,
Move the energy from the top of your head down your forehead and let it rest between your eyes.
This is your third eye in Chinese medicine.
It is called the Hall of Impression and is the gateway into the mind.
It is one of the strongest points in the body for alleviating stress.
As the ball of energy rests on this point,
Feel the nourishing energy roll off your forehead onto your eye sockets.
Allow the energy to soften and soothe your eyes.
Let your energy seep through your eyes,
Into your mind,
And calm your spirit.
Return to the Hall of Impression between your eyes.
Allow your energy to move down the bridge of your nose,
Over the tip of your nose,
Down your upper and lower lips,
To your chin.
At your chin,
Split the energy in half and gently move each half of energy down your neck onto your shoulders and let it rest in the center of your trap midway between the center of your body and your shoulders.
This is the 21st point of the gallbladder channel.
This point is used to strongly pull our Yang energy downward to re-establish the balance between the Yang sympathetic and Yin parasympathetic nervous systems.
This that disrupts the mind manifests in the body as tightness.
Do you notice any tightness in your body?
Do you notice tautness in your jaw?
Are your shoulders tense?
Is your chest or belly constricted?
Allow yourself to feel the tension.
Remember that this is only a feeling.
Say to yourself silently,
This is stress.
I am feeling stress.
Or stress is arising.
It's okay to feel stress.
It's important to emphasize that this is a feeling or something is arising.
You are not stress.
Knowing that stress is a feeling helps us to understand that it's impermanent.
Things are going to come and go.
Just as stress comes and goes.
Return your attention to gallbladder 21 on your upper trap.
Feel the strong downward pull of energy at this point.
Feel the tightness in your body loosen.
Let it go.
Feel the energy slipping down your torso and pelvis,
Down your upper legs,
Your lower legs,
And rolling off your toes into the environment around you.
How do you feel?
Return your attention to the tops of your shoulders.
Softly move your energy down your chest and abdomen,
Down your pelvis,
Down your thighs,
Over your kneecaps,
And let it rest on the outer aspect of your shin bones,
A hand breath below your knees.
Has your energy changed?
Was there a change in shape or color?
Was there a change in texture or temperature?
If there was no change,
That's perfectly all right.
The point on the outside of your shin bone is the 36 point of the stomach channel.
Point 36 is a heavenly star point that is used to nourish and strengthen our cooling in energy while clearing excessive young heat energy creating a state of equanimity.
This point reinforces our resilience,
Allowing us to endure the mental and physical stresses that we face.
Rebalancing the energy of our body allows us to slow down.
The chaotic heat energy created by stress is coming under control.
When you feel stress,
Slow down and take a moment.
Breathe in,
Feeling the breath as it enters the lungs,
And breathe out,
Feeling the air release.
Breathe in,
Feeling the breath as it enters the lungs,
And breathe out,
Feeling the air release.
Breathe in,
Feeling the breath as it enters the lungs,
And breathe out,
Feeling the air release.
When you are ready,
Let your energy slide down your shin bones to the front of your ankles.
Move the energy to the tops of your feet,
Just behind the bend of your big toes and your second toes.
This point is right behind the joint that is formed between the bones of the toes and the bones of your feet.
In this area is the third point of the liver channel.
Stress can cause us to be short-tempered,
Frustrated,
Or irritable.
These are all derivatives of anger.
Being short-tempered,
Irritable,
Or frustrated is a rational response to stress.
In traditional Chinese medicine,
The liver controls anger.
Anger amplifies the activity of yang energy in the body,
Contributing to heat.
This is typically seen in the redness of a person's face when they are angry.
Number three is used to subdue the rising heat generated by anger.
Feel the warm yang energy rising off the surface of your skin and disperse into the air.
The anger,
Irritability,
And frustration are not serving you.
Let them go.
It's important not to force it.
Simply let it go.
Feel the cool yang energy circulating throughout your body.
As you concentrate on this point,
Allow your body to rest.
Notice how your body feels.
Has your energy changed?
Do you feel lighter?
As we come to a close,
Inhale in through your nose,
And exhale through your mouth.
Inhale in through your nose,
And exhale through your mouth.
Stress is part of life.
It's normal.
As humans,
We often do not have control over the stress we experience.
However,
We can't control how we respond to stress.
Remember that when you are stressed,
Pause and feel yourself breathe.
Notice the rise of your belly or the expansion of your chest.
Feel your feet on the ground.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
We are not avoiding or suppressing stress.
We are re-establishing the connection between the body and the mind.
You may open your eyes and rejoin the world around you.
I hope you find this helpful.
Thank you for your practice.
