Welcome to this meditation for health anxiety
Doing this meditation is a conscious decision you've made
to put aside your worries about your health even if it's just for a few minutes.
What we know for sure is that focusing on something
makes it seem bigger, like putting a magnifying glass to it.
If you focus this magnifying glass on your health
it can make symptoms feel worse. And a lot of time can be taken up
by these worries. And seeking reassurance from others only helps for a short while.
Today let's do the opposite and pull you away from the minute details of your body
by relaxing your face and using guided imagery.
So let's make time now to release the tension in your facial muscles and jaw. Starting with
the top of your head release any tension in your scalp and forehead.
If you like, you can use your fingers to gently massage your scalp.
This scalp massage calms your nervous
system.
Continue breathing normally in and out through the tip of your nose.
And now let's move on. Let the tension be erased from your brow. No lines of stress,
everything smoothed out.
Allow the relaxation to develop around and behind your eyes.
Your eyes lightly closed.
Letting go.
Feeling gratitude for your eyesight and how they work so hard for you.
Now lower your jaw so your lips part ever so slightly
and feel the release in your jaw and cheeks.
Your mouth expressionless. The muscles at rest.
Your entire body feels the release and it's okay to let your body relax.
By relaxing one muscle it tells the connecting muscles to relax
and it lets your mind know that everything is safe.
Your mind and body relaxed.
Feel the tension being released from your muscles.
Sometimes our bodies are not ready to let go of the tension yet and that's okay too.
You may have found some shifting in the
sensations.
A calm and contented mind is something all people can achieve, including you.
Let's imagine for a moment how you might normally zero in on your sensations.
Picture yourself looking at your body through a magnifying glass.
As you're magnifying your symptoms notice how your thoughts change as you do.
And now the magnification is flipped, you're being pulled away so you're looking through
a telescope at yourself way off into the distance. You appear as a distant figure.
Pulling far away so you become blurred and undefined.
No longer able to see the worrying
symptoms. The magnification pulls out even more
and now you see your friends and family within the telescope.
Even if they live miles away your connection to them allows them to show up in this telescope.
Feel the love from your family and
friends.
Each one of you enjoying this moment.
And the magnification changes again and you can see the whole world and you
and your connected people appear like a tiny speck in a distance.
Stepping back like this you see who you are and what life you want to lead.
Feel yourself releasing the unhelpful thoughts and feelings about your body,
letting them disappear as you watch yourself enjoying time with your loved ones.
Allow yourself to be friends with your body.
It's okay to befriend your body. It really is incredible.
The sensations you feel are your body doing what it needs to do.
Your body doesn't betray you it helps you.
It's safe to let these sensations come and go without attachment.
Tolerating that discomfort.
Once you let them come and go like this you'll find they'll have less of a hold over you.
Before we close today's meditation let's introduce some affirmations
you can repeat these silently to yourself or just allow yourself to listen.
My body can take care of itself.
My body gets stronger and is in better health every day.
I forgive myself for the time I've spent worrying about my health.
It's time to live for today starting right now.
My bodily sensations are safe even if they cause discomfort.
I choose to feel calm and breathe through this.
I appreciate my body and all the work it does for me.
I nurture my body and mind with nourishing food and information.
If you find yourself wanting to check your symptoms today
focusing on your body and how it feels, pull away and postpone it for 15 minutes.
And instead focus on someone or something else.
15 minutes doesn't seem like a lot but it can make a huge difference,
sitting with your uncertainty.
And knowing that your day may not go exactly to plan but you're doing your best.
Continue with your steady fluid breath and begin coming back to the here and now.
Notice the sounds in your room.
And when you are ready, open your eyes. Feeling calm, comfortable and balanced.
Thank you for meditating today with Generation Calm.