Welcome.
This meditation is a safe space for anyone experiencing anxiety.
There's no pressure or expectation here for you to feel better or for your anxiety to disappear after the meditation.
Rather,
This is a safe space for you to simply notice what's here,
Have compassion for yourself and what you're experiencing,
And make some space for it to dissipate in its own time.
As you start to get comfortable into a meditation position,
I'd like to share some things with you.
The first being a very important message about anxiety.
You are not alone.
Research estimates that over 31% of adults in the US experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.
Though I'm not a mental health professional,
I am one of that 31%.
Anxiety can feel extremely overwhelming in the moment,
And our brains may try to convince us that the feeling will never end.
Trust me,
I've been there.
As hard as it feels in the moment,
It does eventually subside.
Good news is,
You're here,
And you've taken the conscious step from experiencing to noticing to addressing your anxiety today.
I celebrate you in this step forward to working with your anxiety in this moment.
Take a moment to feel some gratitude for the fact that you showed up for yourself in this way today.
Meditation is one of the easiest and most effective ways to calm your sympathetic nervous system and regulate the impacts of anxiety.
Now that you're comfortable in your meditation position,
We're going to offer your nervous system some space to regulate and encourage your body to feel even 1% safer after experiencing some anxiety.
Go ahead and close your eyes if it feels comfortable,
And if that's not available to you right now,
You can lower your eyes to a soft gaze and begin to tune into your breath.
Notice the quality of your breath.
If it's shallow,
Quick,
Focused in the chest,
Or if it feels slow and steady,
Maybe you feel it in your belly or your throat.
Know that there is no good or bad or right or wrong way of breathing.
Your body is simply keeping you alive in the way it knows how.
What a miracle it is that our breathing continues even without our conscious awareness.
Let's start taking some deeper breaths here,
Inhaling and filling the belly and chest,
And holding at the top,
And letting it go with a sigh at your mouth.
Starting to let go.
And another deep breath here,
Filling from your lower belly to your upper chest like you're inflating like an air mattress,
Inhaling,
Holding at the top,
And letting it all go sighing out your mouth.
Last deep breath here,
Taking the deepest breath you've taken all day,
Inhaling,
Filling from the bottom to the top,
Sipping a little more air at the top,
And seeing if you can hold just a little bit longer,
And slowly,
Like you're blowing through a straw,
Purse your lips and exhale all the air from your lungs.
Now let your breathing return to its natural rhythm,
Allowing your breath to be soft and smooth.
It's okay if your breath is shallow.
It's okay if you're not breathing deeply naturally.
Just give yourself a moment to land and to rest,
Noticing what's going on internally,
Not feeling the need to focus on any of your thoughts,
Letting them float by and starting to practice a sense of detachment,
Just letting it be just as your body is still.
Start to allow your mind to just have some space to be still if it wants.
Maybe you need a few extra seconds or minutes to get your mind feeling safe.
Start to slow down.
And as it does that,
We're going to take a moment to connect with our bodies.
So go ahead and gently place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly.
While continuing to breathe naturally and softly,
Start to rub the center of your chest in circles,
Starting to activate the vagus nerve,
Which helps regulate our body's nervous system,
Keeping the other hand steady on your belly.
And apply some light pressure with the hand on your belly,
Almost as a grounding anchor.
Notice how this feels on your body.
Continuing to breathe.
You are safe.
You are deserving of inner peace.
You are deserving of a relaxed body and regulated nervous system.
Your body is your ally and your friend.
Your mind is your ally and your friend.
They all work together to keep you safe,
Keep you alive,
And to keep you out of danger so we can live this human experience that we all get to share together.
Now we're going to do some box breathing to continue to help regulate our nervous systems,
Showing our body that it's safe to slow down.
We're going to inhale for a count of four circles on the chest,
Or taps if that feels more comfortable.
We're going to hold that for four,
Exhale for four,
And hold at the bottom for four.
We're going around the edges of a box.
So we'll do four rounds timed with the circles or taps on your chest.
If you choose to do the circles,
Then you can switch directions at any time.
I'll guide you,
Exhaling all the air out of your lungs gently.
Let's begin.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Last time,
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
You can continue rubbing or tapping on your chest if that feels good to you.
Letting your breath be natural.
Maybe just taking a deep breath here to cleanse.
Noticing how your body is feeling.
Giving yourself a moment.
Just breathe.
Just be.
We do so much in our day-to-day lives.
We think so much.
Our brains are always in motion.
We almost forget to take time to be still other than sleeping at night.
So gifting yourself this extra moment of rest.
Starting to bring some awareness back to your body.
Taking some deeper breaths.
Wiggling your fingers or toes.
And before we fully come back,
Just remember that your anxiety is real and valid.
You are not alone.
You can feel really uncomfortable to be in the midst of anxiety,
But know that your breath is an anchor.
And that this,
Too,
Shall pass.
When you're ready,
You can open your eyes gently.
Or bring your gaze back up and come back to your surroundings.
Noticing how you feel in your body and your mind.
If you notice any newfound sense of calm.
Even just 1% more relaxation.
Thank you for showing up for yourself today.
May you be well.
May you be happy.
May you be filled with love and kindness.
Thank you.
Until next time.
