- Hey there, I'm John.
- Hey there, I'm John.

Welcome to this meditation to help you reduce stress.
Welcome to this meditation to help you reduce stress.

Before we do anything else,
Before we do anything else,

I'm going to ask you to pause
I'm going to ask you to pause

wherever you are at this moment
wherever you are at this moment

and take notice of how you're feeling.
and take notice of how you're feeling.

Try watching and listening carefully and curiously
Try watching and listening carefully and curiously

to what's going on inside you right now.
to what's going on inside you right now.

Now take a deep breath, focusing your attention
Now take a deep breath, focusing your attention

completely on the inhale and the exhale, hold that breath.
completely on the inhale and the exhale, hold that breath.

Now we'll take a deeper breath
Now we'll take a deeper breath

and this time send the oxygen into your body
and this time send the oxygen into your body

and give it permission to still and relax.
and give it permission to still and relax.

And with your third breath, the deepest one yet,
And with your third breath, the deepest one yet,

repeat to yourself silently, I am here.
repeat to yourself silently, I am here.

Now how do you feel?
Now how do you feel?

Taking just three intentional breaths
Taking just three intentional breaths

can help you shift into a calmer energy state.
can help you shift into a calmer energy state.

It's a quick and easy way to help alleviate stress
It's a quick and easy way to help alleviate stress

and a great gift of care you can give to yourself.
and a great gift of care you can give to yourself.

Now from this space, that's more still and more calm,
Now from this space, that's more still and more calm,

gently close your eyes if you haven't already,
gently close your eyes if you haven't already,

allowing your body to settle
allowing your body to settle

into a position you can hold comfortably.
into a position you can hold comfortably.

Begin again to take slower, deeper breaths.
Begin again to take slower, deeper breaths.

Allowing your breathing to ground you
Allowing your breathing to ground you

and still you even further.
and still you even further.

Giving yourself permission right now to focus on you,
Giving yourself permission right now to focus on you,

making yourself your first priority.
making yourself your first priority.

Your wellbeing and self care are your focus.
Your wellbeing and self care are your focus.

Continue to take slow, deep breaths,
Continue to take slow, deep breaths,

allowing each inhale to be a bit deeper
allowing each inhale to be a bit deeper

than the one before it,
than the one before it,

feeling your lungs expand out as you inhale,
feeling your lungs expand out as you inhale,

holding it for a beat,
holding it for a beat,

contracting everything back in as you exhale.
contracting everything back in as you exhale.

As you continue to breathe this way,
As you continue to breathe this way,

feel the journey of the breath through your body.
feel the journey of the breath through your body.

And notice any places where you may be holding stress.
And notice any places where you may be holding stress.

Unfurl your brow,
Unfurl your brow,

unclench your jaw,
unclench your jaw,

let your shoulders drop down from your ears
let your shoulders drop down from your ears

and open your palms.
and open your palms.

And now allow your breath to return to its normal rhythm
And now allow your breath to return to its normal rhythm

and pattern,
and pattern,

but keep your focus on it and allow it to be your anchor
but keep your focus on it and allow it to be your anchor

during this meditation.
during this meditation.

If you get distracted by a thought or a sound,
If you get distracted by a thought or a sound,

simply acknowledge that it occurred
simply acknowledge that it occurred

and then gently let it go
and then gently let it go

and return your attention to your breath.
and return your attention to your breath.

When we are stressed,
When we are stressed,

our perception of a situation isn't as clear as it could be.
our perception of a situation isn't as clear as it could be.

Our heightened emotional state tends to include
Our heightened emotional state tends to include

not only the stress, but our judgements about it.
not only the stress, but our judgements about it.

These judgments, along with stories
These judgments, along with stories

we may be telling ourselves about the situation,
we may be telling ourselves about the situation,

bias our view and cause us even more stress.
bias our view and cause us even more stress.

So right now I invite you to call to mind the situation
So right now I invite you to call to mind the situation

that you feel brings you stress.
that you feel brings you stress.

Watch it, if you can, from a place of curiosity,
Watch it, if you can, from a place of curiosity,

as if you were simply gathering information.
as if you were simply gathering information.

Ask yourself, how true is my perception of this situation?
Ask yourself, how true is my perception of this situation?

Am I holding old judgments or stories about it
Am I holding old judgments or stories about it

that are clouding my view?
that are clouding my view?

As you notice these judgments or stories,
As you notice these judgments or stories,

acknowledge them as having served you in the past
acknowledge them as having served you in the past

and now give them permission to drop away.
and now give them permission to drop away.

You don't need them anymore.
You don't need them anymore.

Let them go.
Let them go.

Now, without those judgments or stories,
Now, without those judgments or stories,

does the situation look or feel any different to you?
does the situation look or feel any different to you?

From this clearer perspective,
From this clearer perspective,

we can begin to see how our own judgments
we can begin to see how our own judgments

and resistance to the situation
and resistance to the situation

can cause them to appear more severe than they actually are,
can cause them to appear more severe than they actually are,

which brings us to the next step in this process,
which brings us to the next step in this process,

acceptance.
acceptance.

Accepting a situation is acknowledging that it is happening.
Accepting a situation is acknowledging that it is happening.

Not necessarily that we agree with it or approve of it.
Not necessarily that we agree with it or approve of it.

Our very resistance to a situation brings us stress.
Our very resistance to a situation brings us stress.

Without the resistance, we see the situation more clearly.
Without the resistance, we see the situation more clearly.

And then also we're open to see
And then also we're open to see

potential new solutions we hadn't before.
potential new solutions we hadn't before.

See if you can begin to allow yourself
See if you can begin to allow yourself

to acknowledge and accept that the situation is happening,
to acknowledge and accept that the situation is happening,

knowing that in this moment, you are safe
knowing that in this moment, you are safe

and you are okay.
and you are okay.

Continue breathing with your eyes closed.
Continue breathing with your eyes closed.

Just let your attention start to focus back on my voice.
Just let your attention start to focus back on my voice.

When we're stressed, we aren't able to see
When we're stressed, we aren't able to see

a situation clearly.
a situation clearly.

By giving ourselves the gift of pausing and reflection,
By giving ourselves the gift of pausing and reflection,

even if only for a few deep breaths,
even if only for a few deep breaths,

we allow ourselves to see the situation more clearly
we allow ourselves to see the situation more clearly

from this safer, more still space.
from this safer, more still space.

We can ease our resistance to it,
We can ease our resistance to it,

which in turn eases the stress.
which in turn eases the stress.

Now let's take three more deep breaths together.
Now let's take three more deep breaths together.

Take a deep inhale in, holding it for a beat
Take a deep inhale in, holding it for a beat

and exhale it out.
and exhale it out.

Again, an even deeper breath than the one before it
Again, an even deeper breath than the one before it

feeling it weave in and out of your muscles and cells
feeling it weave in and out of your muscles and cells

and exhale it out.
and exhale it out.

Last time, your deepest breath yet
Last time, your deepest breath yet

sending that oxygen through your entire body
sending that oxygen through your entire body

all the way down to the tips of your toes
all the way down to the tips of your toes

and when it reaches the top of your head and you're ready,
and when it reaches the top of your head and you're ready,

you can open your eyes.
you can open your eyes.

Thanks for joining me for this meditation and be well.
Thanks for joining me for this meditation and be well.

(soothing music)
(soothing music)