Releasing Anxiety and Finding Calm

This session is designed to guide you gently from anxious feelings into a state of deep calm and relaxation. Find a comfortable position where you can remain undisturbed for the next thirty minutes. You may sit in a supportive chair with your hands resting naturally in your lap, or lie down if that feels more comfortable. There is no right or wrong way to experience this process. Simply allow yourself to be present with whatever arises. You are safe here. You are supported. And you are ready to let go.

Bring your attention to this present moment. [6 second pause] Notice what you can hear, feel, and sense right now. [8 second pause] Perhaps there are sounds around you, distant or near. [6 second pause] Perhaps there are sensations in your body. [7 second pause] You don't need to change anything. [6 second pause] Just notice what is here, right now, in this moment. [8 second pause] Notice where your body makes contact with the surface beneath you. [7 second pause] The weight of your body being held. [8 second pause] You don't have to do anything with this awareness. [6 second pause] Simply let it be there. [10 second pause] And now, notice your breath. [7 second pause] You don't need to breathe in any special way. [6 second pause] Just notice the natural rhythm of your breathing. [8 second pause] The gentle rise. [5 second pause] And fall. [7 second pause] Rise. [5 second pause] And fall. [10 second pause] Your breath has been with you your entire life. [6 second pause] A constant companion. [7 second pause] Always there, waiting to be noticed. [8 second pause] And as you notice your breath, you might become aware that each exhale carries with it a little bit of tension. [8 second pause] Not forcing. [5 second pause] Not trying. [6 second pause] Just a natural release. [10 second pause]

And now, allow your awareness to expand. [7 second pause] Imagine that you are sitting beside a gentle stream. [8 second pause] The water flows smoothly over smooth stones, catching the light as it moves. [10 second pause] The air here is fresh and clean. [6 second pause] You can feel a soft breeze against your skin. [8 second pause] This is a place of peace. [7 second pause] A place where nothing is asked of you. [10 second pause] Beside the stream, there is a comfortable place for you to sit. [7 second pause] Perhaps a smooth, warm rock, or a soft patch of grass. [8 second pause] You settle there now. [6 second pause] Feeling the support beneath you. [10 second pause] The sound of the water is soothing. [7 second pause] A constant, gentle rhythm that washes through your awareness. [10 second pause] Above you, the sky is clear and open. [7 second pause] Endless space. [8 second pause] Nothing to contain. [6 second pause] Nothing to hold. [10 second pause] Just open sky. [8 second pause] And you sit here, in this peaceful place, allowing yourself to simply be. [12 second pause]

And as you rest beside this gentle stream, you might notice that your body is becoming heavier. [8 second pause] More relaxed. [7 second pause] As if the earth beneath you is drawing you down into deeper comfort. [10 second pause] Let's take a journey through your body now, releasing any remaining tension. [8 second pause] Starting at the top of your head. [6 second pause] Notice any holding there. [7 second pause] And simply allow it to soften. [10 second pause] Your forehead becoming smooth. [6 second pause] Your jaw loosening. [7 second pause] Letting your teeth part slightly. [10 second pause] Moving down to your neck and shoulders. [7 second pause] Places where tension so often collects. [8 second pause] Imagine the water from the stream flowing down through your shoulders. [8 second pause] Washing away any tightness. [7 second pause] Carrying it downstream. [10 second pause] Your arms are heavy and relaxed now. [6 second pause] Resting comfortably. [10 second pause] Your chest and stomach. [6 second pause] Rising and falling with each peaceful breath. [10 second pause] Your back settling against the support beneath you. [7 second pause] Every muscle letting go. [10 second pause] Your hips and legs. [6 second pause] Heavy. [7 second pause] Relaxed. [6 second pause] Sinking into comfort. [10 second pause] All the way down to your feet. [7 second pause] Completely at rest. [12 second pause] And now, with each number I count, you go twice as deep into this peaceful state. [8 second pause] Ten. [10 second pause] Sinking deeper into calm. [10 second pause] Nine. [9 second pause] Letting go more completely. [10 second pause] Eight. [8 second pause] Deeper and deeper. [10 second pause] Seven. [7 second pause] So peaceful. [10 second pause] Six. [6 second pause] So relaxed. [10 second pause] Five. [8 second pause] Halfway there. [10 second pause] Four. [7 second pause] Drifting down. [10 second pause] Three. [6 second pause] Deeper still. [10 second pause] Two. [5 second pause] Almost there. [10 second pause] One. [8 second pause] Deeply relaxed. [12 second pause] Deeply at peace. [15 second pause]

And in this deep, peaceful state, I want you to know something important. [8 second pause] Anxiety is just energy. [7 second pause] It is your mind and body trying to protect you. [10 second pause] But sometimes, that protection is no longer needed. [8 second pause] Sometimes, the alarm has already passed. [10 second pause] And you can let your nervous system know that you are safe now. [10 second pause] Imagine that the anxiety you've been feeling is like a knot. [8 second pause] A tight knot somewhere in your body. [10 second pause] You don't need to know exactly where it is. [7 second pause] Your unconscious mind knows. [10 second pause] And now, imagine that knot beginning to loosen. [8 second pause] Slowly. [7 second pause] Gently. [8 second pause] As if warm water is flowing over it, softening the fibers. [12 second pause] There is no rush. [7 second pause] No forcing. [8 second pause] Just a gradual, natural unwinding. [12 second pause] And as this knot loosens, you might notice a feeling of space opening up inside you. [10 second pause] Room to breathe. [7 second pause] Room to be. [12 second pause] Your nervous system is learning something new. [8 second pause] It is learning that you can feel calm. [7 second pause] That you can feel settled. [8 second pause] That you can trust yourself to handle whatever comes. [12 second pause] And this learning goes deep. [8 second pause] Deeper than words. [7 second pause] Deeper than thoughts. [8 second pause] Into every cell of your body. [15 second pause] You are safe. [7 second pause] You are calm. [7 second pause] You are at peace. [12 second pause] And this feeling is becoming your natural state. [10 second pause]

And now, allow yourself to drift forward in time. [8 second pause] To a moment tomorrow, or in the days ahead. [10 second pause] A moment where, in the past, you might have felt anxious. [10 second pause] But now, see yourself in that same situation feeling different. [10 second pause] Notice how your body feels settled. [8 second pause] Your breath is easy and natural. [10 second pause] There is a sense of space inside you. [8 second pause] A quiet confidence. [10 second pause] You are present. [7 second pause] You are grounded. [8 second pause] You are okay. [12 second pause] Watch yourself moving through that moment with ease. [8 second pause] Notice how good it feels to be calm. [10 second pause] To be settled. [7 second pause] To trust in your own capacity for peace. [12 second pause] And know that this version of you is already within you. [8 second pause] Available whenever you need it. [10 second pause] This calm is your birthright. [7 second pause] It belongs to you. [15 second pause]

And now, it is time to begin returning to your day. [8 second pause] Carrying this deep sense of calm with you. [10 second pause] In a moment, I will count from one to five. [7 second pause] And at the count of five, you will be fully alert, fully awake, feeling peaceful and refreshed. [10 second pause] One. [6 second pause] Beginning to feel the energy returning to your body. [8 second pause] Two. [6 second pause] Taking a deeper breath. [7 second pause] Feeling refreshed. [8 second pause] Three. [6 second pause] Your hands and feet beginning to move. [7 second pause] Feeling present. [8 second pause] Four. [6 second pause] Your eyes beginning to open. [7 second pause] Taking in the light. [8 second pause] Five. [5 second pause] Eyes open. [5 second pause] Fully alert. [6 second pause] Fully awake. [7 second pause] Feeling calm. [6 second pause] Feeling settled. [7 second pause] Ready for whatever comes next. [8 second pause]

Know that this feeling of calm is always available to you. [7 second pause] You can return to this peaceful place in your mind whenever you need to. [10 second pause] Each time you practice, it becomes easier. [7 second pause] More natural. [8 second pause] Your nervous system is learning a new way of being. [10 second pause] Trust in this process. [7 second pause] Trust in yourself. [8 second pause] You are doing beautifully. [10 second pause] Until we meet again, be well. [8 second pause]