Take a moment to get into whatever position feels best to you.
This practice can be done sitting,
Or standing,
Or lying down.
It's completely normal to feel anxious.
Anxiety is your nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do,
Creating mobilizing energy in preparation for your flight response.
This might be in response to a physical sensation in your body,
An emotion that's too overwhelming to feel,
Or a situation in your life that feels uncertain or out of control.
Right now,
We're going to support your system in feeling just a little safer.
Not by pushing the anxiety away,
But by meeting it where it is,
Understanding that it's just your body trying to protect you.
So let's begin by simply noticing what anxiety feels like in your body.
What sensations are present?
How is your body letting you know it doesn't feel safe?
Maybe there's tightness,
Or gripping,
Or buzzing.
Maybe you notice a faster heart rate,
Or restricted breath.
See if you can allow these sensations to be here,
Just for now,
Without needing to fix them or change them.
When we allow the sensations and emotions that arise,
We teach our brain that they're safe,
And they can often begin to soften on their own.
You might notice some frustration,
Or resistance,
Or overwhelm.
That's okay.
You can let those feelings be here,
Too.
Let's start with three physiological sighs.
When you're ready,
Take a big breath in through the nose,
An extra inhale on top,
And one long exhale through the mouth.
And again,
Take a big breath in through the nose,
An extra inhale on top,
And a long exhale through the mouth.
And one more round on your own.
Now invite some movement into your body.
If there's a lot of energy present,
You might let yourself bounce or shake a little.
If you really need to move,
You can let yourself run in place,
Or even imagine running.
You might try rolling one shoulder back,
Then the other,
Alternating sides.
Let yourself twist,
Rotating through your spine,
Looking as far as you can in one direction,
Then as far as you can in the other.
Take some time to let your body move however it wants to.
There's no wrong way.
Now let's try a few rounds of gentle thumping or tapping with soft fists or open hands on your chest,
Your thighs,
Your shoulder,
Wherever feels grounding.
This rhythmic contact can signal safety to your body.
Next,
Let's take a big breath in as you shrug your shoulders up towards your ears,
Tense and squeeze and hold,
Then release your shoulders and release your breath with an audible exhale.
Let's do a few more rounds,
Breathing and tensing whatever part of your body you want.
Breathing in,
Tensing,
Squeezing,
Holding,
And exhale with a sound.
Let's do that two more times.
Breathing in,
Tensing,
Squeezing,
Holding,
And exhale with a sound.
Last time.
Breathing in,
Tensing,
Squeezing,
Holding,
And exhale with a sound.
Now let's shift our awareness to the breath.
Let's just notice what the breath is like in this moment.
We're not trying to change it or just letting it be whatever it is.
Let yourself breathe normally,
Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
We're not trying to take deep breaths here.
We're just letting the air come in and letting the air go out.
Now see if you can start to extend the exhale.
Just letting the exhale be a little bit longer than the inhale.
You might imagine that you were blowing just hard enough to make a candle flame flicker.
Keep going at your own pace.
Letting the air come in and letting the air go out.
Just letting your body know it's safe to slow down.
You can return to breathing normally and notice how you feel.
You might notice that the sensations in your body have shifted or changed.
Even if anxiety is still present,
That's okay.
You've taken important steps to show your brain and body that you're safe.
