I'd like to invite you to take a moment for a brief reflective practice.
This is an invitation.
If you don't feel you're in a good place right now or it doesn't feel safe to practice,
Please do what feels right for you.
You can just listen.
So making yourself comfortable,
You may close your eyes and take a few deeper breaths.
Breathing in through the nose nice and deep and breathing out through the mouth gently,
Slowly,
Letting go of any tension.
And if focusing on the breath is not comfortable,
You can always choose to open and close your hands and focus on that movement.
And now letting the breath to flow naturally,
Effortlessly.
And holding your whole body in your awareness so you can sense where there are areas of tightness or tension.
And just giving yourself an opportunity to let go of that tension.
Settle into a state of relaxation.
And you might take a moment to reflect on the last day or two and recall a situation that provoked a sense of anxiety or worry.
It will not be helpful to pick something where you felt traumatized and went into a highly charged state of distress.
Just choosing something that caused a mild sense of anxiety as we're practicing here.
So inviting your mind to go into that situation.
And you can freeze the scene where the emotion was most agitating for you.
Might be something you're seeing or hearing or feeling that is upsetting.
Freeze the frame when you are in an anxiety-producing experience.
It's like pressing the pause button.
And allow the experience to fill the body.
Notice what's happening in the mind,
In the body.
What thoughts,
Emotions,
Physical sensations are present.
Where and how does anxiety show itself in the body?
And as best you can,
Gently allowing the experience to be just as it is.
Noticing how all of the experience has flown through you.
And what is the emotion beneath the thoughts?
It might be frustration or fear,
Anger,
Sadness or shame.
And what is this emotion telling you?
What does it need?
Perhaps it needs reassurance or protection or to be seen or to be heard or accepted and loved.
Everything is on pause.
And now calling on a good friend that holds or embodies incredible mindfulness or wisdom and compassion.
Or it could be a spiritual figure,
A living person or imaginary one.
Someone who is on your side and got your best interest at heart.
Or it might be yourself at your very best.
Calm,
Wise,
Kind and compassionate.
With great wisdom and higher perspective.
And then inviting these qualities to fill you.
You're inviting all that wise,
Enlightened,
Awake and compassionate energy to fill you.
Embodying all of these qualities.
So you can feel with the heart of that compassionate self,
That wise self and notice what that's like.
How does it feel to embody all of those qualities?
What happens when you look at that situation again?
And freeze the frame and let your wise self to navigate through that situation.
What perspective do you have now through the eyes of this wise,
Awakened self?
How does your heart relate?
And what new options or choices of behavior open up for you?
How might you be speaking to yourself?
Perhaps offering reassurance,
Kindness,
Compassion for that emotion and yourself.
What could be a kind wish to yourself?
If nothing arises spontaneously,
We can also offer ourselves some traditional wishes.
May I be safe,
Happy and healthy.
May I live with ease.
May I find peace in my heart,
Head and body.
Gently,
Softly repeating these wishes and resting awareness on the area of your heart.
Allowing warm wishes of loving kindness to soothe the body,
Heart and mind.
Cradling all of your experience in this kindly soothing breath.
And as we're beginning to bring this practice to a close,
Noticing any changes and appreciating your effort,
Courage and commitment to practice being with your anxious feelings.
And now taking a few moments or a few deeper breaths before coming back and re-engaging with the rest of your day.
