Hello and welcome.
This is a short practice for the moments.
When your mind feels loud.
When worry is moving fast.
And your body hasn't followed it.
You don't need to force yourself to relax here.
We're simply going to give you.
And your nervous system.
A few honest signals that.
Right now,
You're safe enough to pause.
Begin by finding a position that feels supported.
Sitting or lying down either is fine.
And if it feels okay.
Let your eyes close.
Or soften your gaze toward the floor.
Before we go inward,
Let's start by going outward.
Anxiety pulls us into the future.
So we'll begin by coming back to the room you're actually in.
With your eyes closed or open.
Notice three things you can feel touching your body.
The weight of your body on the chair or bed.
Your feet against the floor.
The temperature of the air on your skin.
Now notice one sound in your environment.
Not judging it.
Just letting your attention rest on it for a moment.
Like setting something down.
This is called orienting.
It's how your body checks that the present moment is safe.
You may already notice something loosening.
Ever so slightly.
And if you don't,
That's okay too.
There's no deadline here.
Now let's work with the breath,
Specifically the exhale.
When we're anxious,
The in-breath gets greedy and the out-breath gets short.
We're going to reverse that.
So I'd like you to take a breath in through your nose.
And then let the exhale be long and slow,
Like you're fogging a window.
Let it take twice as long as the inhale.
Again.
Breathe it gently.
And let it all the way out.
Slow.
Unhurried.
Nothing,
Nothing to push.
One more time at your own pace.
And and long,
Soft exhale.
You might even let a small sigh come with it.
Now let the breath return to normal,
No counting,
No controlling.
Your body knows how to breathe.
You've reminded it that the emergency is not here.
As you rest here,
Scan for one place in your body that's holding the worry.
Maybe it's your jaw.
Your shoulders.
Your stomach.
You don't need to fix it.
I'd like you to just bring a kind of attention there.
The way you'd rest a hand on the shoulder of someone you care about.
And with your next exhale.
Invite that place to soften.
Even 5%.
5% is enough.
Calm does not arrive all at once.
It arrives in small permissions like this one.
If thoughts are still moving,
And they may be.
That's not a failure.
An anxious mind is a mind that's trying to protect you.
You can thank it gently.
And let the exhale answer it.
Not right now.
Right now,
We rest.
Let's take three more quiet breaths together.
Nowhere to be.
Nothing to solve for the next 30 seconds.
Notice how you feel compared to when you began.
Not perfect.
Just different.
A little more here.
This calm is yours to return to.
One long exhale.
One sound in the room.
One place that softens 5%.
You can do this anywhere in a parked car.
At your desk in a waiting room.
When you're ready.
Let your eyes open if they were closed.
Take in the room.
And carry the steadiness with you gently into whatever comes next.
Thank you for practicing with me.
