Hello and welcome to my Insight Meditation page.
My name is Kimberly Clements.
Today's meditation we're going to be talking about anxiety.
And I think of emotions like anxiety to live on a spectrum.
There are small a anxieties like running late,
Needing to talk to your partner about a purchase that you need to purchase and spend money on.
And then there are larger a anxieties that are,
You know,
Changing a job,
Moving,
Your child going to school.
There are small a and large a and as we live on the spectrum,
It's really important to remember that anxiety is normal.
It's a part of being in a human experience.
So if you're experiencing anxiety,
There's nothing wrong with you.
And there are things that we can do to learn to be with our anxiety in skillful and wholesome ways.
So today we're going to practice that.
So just think for a moment before we get into the meditation.
Just think about maybe something that is causing you some anxiety right now.
And I would suggest not going with the biggest a anxiety in your life,
But going with,
You know,
You can,
You can use a big a anxiety,
Just nothing that's going to send you into a spiral during the meditation,
Since I'm not with you,
I won't be able to help pull you out.
But just a little anxiety to a medium,
Big anxiety,
Something that you can really work with something that will bring up the anxiety,
But something that you can,
You know,
Feel good about being alone with and working with in this moment.
So go ahead wherever you are.
And just choosing what comes up first.
There's,
You know,
Don't ever think it,
That's so easy to overthink things.
Don't ever think it just choose whatever first anxiety thing arises in your mind.
And go ahead and just begin to get your body comfortable.
And if it feels good,
Closing the eyes,
And if it doesn't just find a place to hold your gaze on the floor or in front of you.
And elongating the spine.
So keeping the spine really long so that the body stays alert and is supported.
And then begin letting the muscles around the bones relax.
Letting the face muscles relax the forehead,
The cheek,
The jawline.
Anxiety can really affect the face muscles,
We hold a lot of tension in our face.
Relaxing the shoulders,
The upper back,
The chest.
Relaxing the arms and the hands.
Relaxing the belly,
Let the belly fall open and relaxation.
And then letting the hips and the legs get a little bit heavier wherever you're seated.
Practicing this beautiful balance of alert,
Awake,
But relaxed and open.
And right here,
Just go ahead and direct your attention to your breathing.
Maybe the breathing at the nostrils or the chest or the belly,
Just begin to notice the natural inhales and exhales of the breath.
Noticing the quality of your breath.
Are your breaths short?
Are they long?
Are they smooth?
Or are they labored?
Not judging them,
Just noticing the breath.
Notice the beautiful support of the breath.
How we don't have to ask the breath to come and go,
It just does it on its own.
And then notice the support of the structure below you.
The chair,
The floor,
The bed,
Wherever you're sitting.
And just notice how you're held,
Supported,
Giving you some strength for your exploration of anxiety.
And really feel that support even push into it.
Noticing how it holds you when you give it a little bit of force.
Noticing how this support isn't asking for anything.
And how it's always here.
Right here,
Supported and held,
I want you to bring up the situation that is causing some anxiety.
And I want you to really practice seeing it,
Bringing it fully up in your awareness.
If it includes a person,
Seeing the person.
If it includes a place,
Seeing the place.
Giving yourself full permission to put yourself in the stressful,
Anxious moment,
Situation.
Notice your thoughts.
Notice maybe even any words that you spoke.
Or words that the other person spoke.
Notice the storylines.
The things that you're replaying in your mind,
Or the things that you think might happen or occur.
Or the things that you think this means about you,
About your life.
About your relationships.
About your future.
Now notice where you feel it most in the body.
Notice if there's any tension.
Did your jaw clench?
Did your hand clench?
Your shoulders,
Your belly?
Does your chest feel heavy?
Is your heart racing?
Just notice where you feel it,
And what you actually feel.
What is actually occurring,
Pulsing,
Tight,
Hot?
And ask yourself,
Can I let this be here?
Can I let these feelings,
These thoughts,
These storylines,
Can I let them be here?
Can I sit with them without needing to fix,
Run away from,
Change,
Numb?
Can I let it be here just as it is?
Can I let this be here just as it is?
And sometimes it helps to place a hand over where you feel it most in the body.
Feeling your own support.
Your own touch.
Your own nurturance.
And right here,
Ask yourself,
What do I need to hear the most?
What do I need to hear the most?
What would be helpful and supportive?
And then whispering it to yourself.
Supporting yourself,
Being kind to yourself.
As you speak to yourself and nurture yourself,
Maybe noticing if this part of you that's anxious has an age.
And see if you can speak to yourself at that age.
What did you at that age need to hear?
And maybe even ask yourself again,
Is there anything that you need?
This version,
This age of yourself,
Is there anything that you need?
And then practice giving it to yourself.
And whatever part of yourself you're in touch with,
Ask it if it has any wisdom for you.
Does it have anything to share with you?
Tell you to support you during this time?
Taking the wisdom and just for a moment imagining yourself using it.
Using it as you choose future action steps.
Using it as you cope with the anxiety that comes up as feelings and thoughts and stories.
What would it look like for you to use this wisdom?
And really see yourself doing it.
Putting the wisdom and insight that's within you to use.
Gently bowing your chin.
And in whatever way,
Offering gratitude to this part of yourself that showed up today.
Whether it was just the physical,
Real time,
Present moment self,
Or if it was a younger version of yourself.
Thanking all parts that showed up.
Thanking all parts for the courage to be with the harder things in life.
Taking some deep breaths.
Gently begin moving the body.
Lifting the eyes,
Letting the eyes blink open,
Taking in the surroundings.
Noticing how you're feeling.
Noticing if there's any action step to take once you re-enter this moment of your life.
Knowing that anxiety is normal.
And you can return to this meditation.
As many times as you need.
Until next time.
