Stop Stressing About Stress: A 12-Minute Guided Meditation for Deep Stress Relief

In today's fast-paced world, stress is an all-too-familiar companion for many of us. Whether it's work pressures, personal challenges, or the constant buzz of technology, finding a moment of peace can seem like an elusive dream. Our latest podcast episode, "Transformative Mindfulness and Breathwork for Stress Relief," is here to change that narrative by guiding you on a journey towards inner tranquility and stress-free living. 

Transcript

Mini Meditation for Stress Relief

Speaker 1 0:00

Hey there , I just wanted to check in with you . Sometimes we hold a lot of stress without knowing it , and sometimes we hold stress and then we stress about it because we are aware of the stress . So I created this mini meditation for you to create some space to zoom out a little bit , to reconnect with yourself and to recognize that you can let go , that you can support yourself , that even in what might feel like the darkest times or the most stressful times you can , you can recenter and get real about where you're stressing , about the stress and how that's holding you back . Before we jump in , I want you just to think about that . Where in your life right now , where in your head right now ? Where in your thoughts and your body right now and your body right now Are you creating stress for yourself , about the stress that you might be feeling in your world ? When you're ready , I'd like you to close your eyes and continue to contemplate the notion that there's an opportunity here to decrease stress and it's in your control . If you're able to close your eyes and they are closed already go ahead and just take a deep breath in for four , holding at the top for as long as you can and when you're ready . I just want you to exhale as loudly as you like , just letting go of any tension , and then return to breathing normally . Notice that your blood might be flowing differently now . Draw your awareness around that You're already making a physical change in your body .

Speaker 1 2:52

So now I'm going to guide you through this . But what I'd like you to do and this is physical , you can do it lying down , standing up , sitting at your desk . What I'd like you to do is to squeeze your shoulders all the way up to your ears , tighten your fists , tighten your face , every muscle that you can control , and hold it as tightly as you can for as long as you can . Feel how strong you are , how in control you are of really , really pulling those muscles in tight squeezing . Feel them and when you're ready , just let go . You might feel yourself tingling . Wiggle your fingers , roll your wrists , maybe do a head roll , maybe kind of open your mouth and wiggle your lips around your jaw . You might feel silly if you do allow yourself to laugh .

Speaker 1 4:10

For those of you who know Donald O'Connor and Singing in the Rain , that's what we're going for here , okay , so we're going to do it one more time , and what I want you to do is to draw awareness around your incredible strength . All right . So again , we are going to concentrate on our fingers , fists , arms . Pull them in tight to your torso . If you like to pull in your stomach muscles and your ribs , go for it All the way up to your neck . Pull your shoulders up to your ears and scrunch your face all up , nice and tight , and hold for as long as you can and , when you're ready , make a decision to let go and then really let go . Notice how you're feeling .

Speaker 1 5:14

So now what I'd like you to do is shake your head no , so , from right to left . But I want you to say , either in your head or out loud yes , go ahead and try it . It's counterintuitive . So you're nodding your head , no , from right to left , right to left , and you're saying yes , yes , yes , yes , yes , yes , yes , as you nod your head no , okay , now we're going to nod our head up and down in the universal symbol for yes and we're going to say no , alright . So we're going to go nodding up and down saying no , no , no , no , no , no , no , when you feel like you've done it enough . Just listen to your instinct , to your intuition .

Speaker 1 6:19

I want you simply just to take a head roll , so chin down , rolling ear to the side of your shoulder , lifting your face all the way to the ceiling Now your left ear to your left shoulder and circling down , chin down to your chest . If your eyes are still closed , that's terrific . I want you to imagine and again , keep your chin down . If it's not still down , I want you to stretch your chin a little closer , give yourself a little more space on the back of your neck as you really lengthen up the top of your head , top of your crown , circling over , in order to let that chin reach towards your chest . Nice , nice . Now , before you release that , I want you to imagine that your chin is , I don't know , like a piece of chalk or paint , could be a paintbrush , and as you start to raise your chin and just wait for a second , I'll let you know when to do this , I want you to go down , to go up , meaning reach a little bit lower down and then pick a color , and I want you simply to paint the letter I or the number one . Now see that letter or number right in front of you . So now you're again . You're seeing it in your mind's eye . All right , so you're looking straight at this colorful letter line , stroke or number right in front of you and I want you to focus on it . Notice the color , notice how thick or thin you painted it . Notice if you like the color , if the color elicits a feeling in you . Just keep looking at it . Just keep looking at it Now as you continue breathing and staring at this image that you created in your mind's eye , and play with it .

Speaker 1 8:47

Maybe you painted it red , but right now you're not feeling red . Play around with transforming it to the color blue . See how that makes you feel . Maybe you want to turn it horizontal . Go ahead , turn it 90 degrees clockwise . Make it a straight , flat line in front of you . Maybe you want to continue rotating clockwise , or maybe you preferred it the way it was and you can take it back .

Speaker 1 9:21

Continue to play with this line that you drew with your mind's eye , that you painted with a color . Maybe change its position counterclockwise . 90 degrees , 45 degrees . The sky is the limit . Go ahead and just dabble and play . Change the color now . Try yellow . What does yellow elicit ? Where do you feel that in your body ?

Speaker 1 10:10

Allow this image now to transform into anything you like . It can remain abstract , it can become specific , it could become oh , I don't know a horse and it could gallop out of your sight . It could be a horse that you get on and gallop with it out of your sight . Whatever you like , use your creativity , your intuition . Ask your body what color and what shape would you like to transform this image that you created ? Really , engage in the play and just notice .

Breathwork for Stress Release

Speaker 1 11:04

You can stay here as long as you like and pause the track or , if you're ready , I'm going to slowly bring you back to your breath and I want you to take a deep breath in through your nose , holding at the top just as long as it feels comfortable , and then exhaling through your mouth on your next breath .

Speaker 1 11:37

I want you to imagine that your breath is originating from your toes and breathe that breath all the way up from your toes , through your shins and your calves and your knee and your thigh and your hamstring and your hips , all the way up through your spine , your belly , through your spine , your belly , through your throat , right up the center of your skull , and then exhale , feel yourself spreading , widening , opening . So we've spent about 12 and a half minutes playing , creating , recreating , shaping our thoughts , enjoying the fact that there's no right answers and also feeling the power that you have to create whatever thoughts you want . So I want you to remember that prompt . I asked you at the beginning , which was in what areas are you stressing about stress ? And check in with yourself and notice if any of that has dissipated in this exercise .

Speaker 1 13:29

I expect that you'll be feeling more expansive and spacious . If you're not , that's okay . You can repeat the exercise . Start to really give yourself permission to play , to create and to recreate and to dissipate any stress about the stress , letting go of anything you can't control and letting go also of the things that you can control and create something that you'd rather have . I encourage you to stop creating stress around the stress and instead come to this place where you connect with yourself , your incredible being . In stressful times , it's so important to be as spacious as we can and to cultivate and continue to live a life of creative possibilities . My friends , I leave you now . I'm going to count backwards from 5 , 4 , 3 , 2 , and one . Have an amazing rest of your day , evening , week , life , wishing you nothing but love and light . Namaste .