In this meditation,
I will share a breathing exercise that can be helpful in learning to stay more grounded and in control when experiencing everyday mid-level life stressors,
As well as share some tips on how to use this breathing while not meditating to help you feel more intentional and grounded in your life.
Let's begin.
We all get into stressful situations from time to time.
This is an unavoidable truth about life.
Stress management is not about eliminating stress from our lives,
But rather about adjusting our habitual reactions to stress in order to improve how we respond to it so that it doesn't build into something more,
Which will surely disrupt your daily routine and life.
Some examples of mid-level life stressors are like if you have a deadline coming up sooner than you thought and now you have a lot to do in a short amount of time,
Or if you have a social dinner to attend and you really don't want to see some of the people that will be there.
These situations,
While they are certainly stressful,
Are ones that generally keep our stress levels in a mid-level range,
Where we're not completely overwhelmed yet maybe in a constant,
Semi-stressed state.
Maybe we notice that we're making more mistakes than usual,
Or we feel disorganized or a bit snappy with our loved ones.
We may experience mid-level stress somewhat often,
Maybe even every day,
Making it easy to fall into autopilot mode,
Letting the stress build until it explodes,
Or we retreat and collapse in exhaustion.
Taking active steps to manage your stress response in the moment,
Like with this breathing practice,
Can help you get through everyday tough situations while staying a bit more grounded and in control of yourself.
Let's focus on our breath right now,
And then I'll share how you can use this breathing when you're not meditating to better manage your stress.
So first,
Simply begin by noticing that you are breathing.
See if you can feel your belly expand and contract with your breath.
Feel your chest gently rising and falling.
Can you feel the air passing through your nose softly as you breathe?
Good.
Now,
We'll take a few intentional deep breaths with long,
Controlled exhales.
This kind of exhale is what turns on our parasympathetic nervous system,
Which sends a message from our brains to our bodies telling us we are safe and can calm down.
This long exhale also reactivates the more logical,
Problem-solving,
Rational parts of our brains,
Helping us to feel more present and in control.
Let's begin really paying attention to how each breath feels.
Go ahead and breathe in nice and deeply,
Feeling your belly fill up with air,
And then slowly exhale,
Controlling the air as it leaves your body,
Like you're blowing through a straw.
Good.
And again,
Let's take a nice deep breath,
Pulling air fully into your body,
Oxygenating every cell,
And exhaling slowly,
Long and controlled.
Notice how your body feels as you do this breathing.
And last one.
Breathe in deeply,
Filling your belly and up into your chest,
And exhale,
Long and controlled.
Breathe normally now.
What do you notice in your body and mind after taking those three intentional deep breaths?
Hopefully,
You feel more relaxed,
Present,
And clear,
Even just a little bit.
Now consider when this breathing might be useful for you.
Are there common mid-level stressful situations in your life where you'd like to feel more in control of your stress response?
Bring one of these situations,
A mid-level stressful moment to mind.
And now picture yourself taking a pause to practice this breathing,
Remembering that it only took about a minute or so to do three rounds of it.
How can you see yourself handling this common mid-level stressful situation differently if you are a little bit less stressed?
What signs can you pay attention to within yourself that may signal that it's time to use this breathing?
You can quietly note these things to yourself or write them down after you finish this meditation as a way to remind yourself of what you learned and when you will practice it.
See if you can use this breathing the next time a mid-level life stress situation arises and notice how it changes the way you respond.
You might also try using this breathing preventatively,
Taking a minute to pause before a commonly stressful situation so that you can preempt your stress response and stay even more grounded and in control.
And remember,
Anytime you feel like you need to relax and reset yourself in response to stress,
You can simply pause and repeat these three powerful breaths with long controlled exhales.
Thanks for meditating with me today.
