This is Samantha Sussman,
Licensed mental health counselor.
I put together this meditation to help those of us that are struggling with fear,
Worry,
A sense of loneliness because of the quarantine and the current situation in the world.
So spend a few moments with me getting grounded and cultivating a sense of safety.
So first I want you to settle in.
You can be sitting down,
Lying down,
Just find a spot that's comfortable.
When you're ready,
Bring your gaze gently to the floor,
Leave your eyes open and take a long deep breath into your belly.
Open your mouth and let it all go.
And again,
Slow breath in,
Slow breath out.
And one more cleansing breath,
Biggest breath yet.
Let everything go.
Now begin to breathe at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
In through the nose,
Out through the nose.
There's no right or wrong way to breathe.
I want you to bring your right hand onto your chest so that your fingers lay just under your left collarbone.
And then do the same on the other side so your left hand is resting on your right,
Left fingers just under your right collarbone,
Making an X on your chest.
And you're going to begin tapping here.
Starting first with your right fingers and then your left.
So hands stay pressed against your body,
Just gently bringing your fingers up one hand at a time,
Creating a rhythm that feels comfortable for you.
Roughly it could be tap,
Tap,
Tap,
Tap,
Tap.
Just spend a moment here,
Breathing steady,
Feeling the pressure of your fingers against your chest.
And if that doesn't feel comfortable for you,
That's okay.
You can also try bringing your right hand down to your right leg,
Left hand down to your left leg,
Fingertips resting on your knees.
Keep the palms of your hands resting against your body and just bring your right fingertips up and tap and then your left.
And just tap every other.
Maybe you want to try both and see what's more comfortable for you.
Once you've found a position and a pace of tapping that feels right for you,
With eyes gently open,
You're just going to receive these following messages,
Letting them soak in.
I am reasonably safe.
I have survived many difficult things before.
I can make the most of these circumstances.
I am reasonably healthy.
I can learn from this.
Staying away from others helps keep them and I safer.
I am reasonably safe.
I have survived many difficult things.
I can make the most of these circumstances.
I am reasonably healthy.
I can learn from this.
Staying away from others helps keep me and them safer.
I am reasonably safe.
I have survived many difficult things before.
I can make the most of these circumstances.
I am reasonably healthy.
I can learn from this.
Staying away from others helps keep me and them safer.
And take a moment here to let those messages sink into your system.
Keep breathing steady,
Feeling the pressure of your taps against your body.
And if those statements started to cultivate a sense of gratitude in you for the things in your life that are keeping you safe,
Stable,
Reasonably healthy and okay,
Allow that gratitude to begin to grow.
And as it grows in and around you,
Maybe your shoulders relax down even more.
And a slight smile may develop on your lips.
Breathe in deep into that feeling of gratitude,
Allowing it to multiply and spread in and around you.
And if during our time together today,
You have found a seed of feeling safe or a seed of gratitude or a seed of hope,
Remember how it feels,
How it feels in your body,
In your thoughts,
In your feelings.
And remember that you can cultivate this feeling whenever you want.
Take one more long deep breath into your belly.
Push your belly button away from your spine.
Open your mouth.
Let it all go.
Grab your left shoulder with your right hand,
Your right shoulder with your left and squeeze.
Your next exhale,
Let it all go.
Release the hug.
Thanks for joining me.
Peace and health.
