Working With Anxious Thoughts - 5 Minute Daily Insight

Hi and welcome to the Daily Insight.

My name is Hugh Byrne and I'm a meditation teacher here on Insight Timer.

Today's meditation will focus on relieving stress.

This five-minute meditation will focus on calming and settling the body and the mind.

Begin by finding a relaxed,

Comfortable posture,

Sitting on a chair,

A cushion or a bench.

Let your eyes gently close,

If that's comfortable for you.

Or keep them open with a soft,

Unfocused gaze.

Feel the weight of your body and the contact with the surface beneath you.

Invite your shoulders to relax and soften.

Let your hands rest in your lap or on your knees.

Feel yourself here,

Letting go of other concerns,

Memories,

Plans.

Now take a full,

Deep in-breath,

Filling the chest and the lungs.

And on the out-breath,

Breathe out fully.

Imagine you're releasing any tensions or stresses that might have built up.

And as you breathe in,

You might invite in a quality of calm.

You could say the word calm or peace to yourself.

Breathing in,

Calming the body.

Breathing out,

Calming the mind.

And as you breathe in and out with long,

Full breaths,

You can invite a smile to your face,

Letting the corners of your mouth and your eyes come into the expression of a smile.

If it's helpful,

You could think of a loved one or a dear friend who easily makes you feel happy,

Joyful.

The smile sends a message to our brain and our nervous system that we can be at ease,

That we don't need to be hyper-vigilant.

And this can help us release stress.

If you're feeling tense,

Tight,

Stressed or anxious,

You could send yourself a wish of ease and peace.

May I live with ease and with kindness.

May I be peaceful and at ease.

You could put your hand on your heart and wish yourself well.

May I be happy.

May I be peaceful.

May I be at ease.

Finishing with the words of the poet Dorothy Hunt,

Peace is this moment without judgment.

This moment in the heart space where everything that is,

Is welcome.