Breathe Stress Away

Hi there, Alicia here. Thank you for joining me for today's Shine meditation. To start, let's connect to our bodies. Close your eyes. Get comfortable, whether you are seated, standing, or lying down. Focus on straightening up your spine and relaxing your shoulders. Take a nice deep inhale here, in through your nose and out through the mouth. Let's do that two more times. In and out. In and out. Today, we're talking about stress. We all know that feeling when something you face in the day or week gives you the surge of tension, maybe in the form of anger, fear, or doubt that flutter in your chest or that sinking feeling at the pit of your stomach. The thing about stress is that it can manifest in different forms. Sometimes we engage with an issue or worry mentally. And without us knowing it, it winds up in our bodies in the form of unease or stiffness. So today we're going to use breath in our meditation. And imagine releasing that tension from those areas where it's maybe gathered. Okay, close your eyes if they aren't already. Take some easy breaths here. Allow the air to move in and out naturally. I want you to scan your body from the bottom up. Notice if there are any spots where your tension has collected. Where does it feel easy? Where does it feel not so easy? Keep breathing deeply and maintain that awareness of the flow of your breath. Now for the next breath, I want you to choose a place in your body that feels tense. Imagine that when you breathe in, the oxygen rushes to that area of discomfort and dismantles it. And on the exhale, it floats away out of your body. Breathe in, imagine that physical stress coming apart at the seams. And exhale, release it. In your own time, do this for a few more spots of tension. Just go through each area of uneasiness in the body and breathe into it. I'll give you some time. So the next time you're feeling stressed, maybe you can try an exercise like this where you combine your breath with your imagination. Maybe that might help. Repeat this after me silently or out loud. When I take deep conscious breaths, my body relaxes. Again, when I take deep conscious breaths, my body relaxes. Great work breathing your body calm today. You've got this....