Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to outside of session. I'm your host, licensed clinical social worker and therapist BFF, Julie Hilton. We're going to cover all the things here, whether it's mental health, entrepreneurship, relationships, trauma, or just life. Nothing is off limits. Hopefully you'll laugh a little and learn a lot, but most importantly, feel encouraged on your journey to live empowered.
Speaker: Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode. So last week we talked about hypnotherapy and so I thought today would be a really good time for us to take a break from regular sessions and do another meditation since hypnotherapy and meditation are so similar and they go really well together. So I thought we would do another one too because I got really good feedback for the body scan episode that we did a few episodes back.
Speaker: So let's do another one. Today's meditation is going to be more focused on stress relief and so it's gonna be a little bit longer than the body scan meditation. And this is one that would be good to do at the end of the day, like fall asleep listening to it because it's really good to go to bed with a clear mind and feeling really, really relaxed and free of stress.
Speaker: So just keep in mind, don't do this one while you're driving. Do this one in a place where you can be quiet, have your eyes closed, and really just give yourself a break from the hustle of the world. And yeah, just enjoy.
Speaker: Hello and welcome. For the next few minutes, you get to pause. The world around you is stressful and demanding, but you are choosing to release yourself from the race and embrace calm. The demands of the world can wait. You deserve peace. You deserve this.
Speaker: Find a quiet place and settle into a comfortable position, sitting with a tall spine or laying in a relaxing position. Give your body permission to fall into a position that feels natural and relaxing. If you haven't already, now is a good time to close your eyes.
Speaker: Let your lids fall gently without forcing them to stay closed. Briefly scan your body from the top of your head, down to your midsection, to your toes, and ask your body to release any tension it might be holding onto. Your jaw is not locked, your shoulders are dropped back,
Speaker: your arms fall naturally to your sides. For the next few minutes, your body will feel heavy, loose, and relaxed. Now let's focus on the breath. As you take a deep breath, inhaling through your nose, imagine a balloon filling up as full as it can.
Speaker: Don't rush this inhale or gasp. Slowly feel the cold air flowing through your nostrils. Then slightly pause at the top of the breath before releasing. As you exhale through your mouth, make an O shape. You should hear your breath as you exhale, almost like slowly blowing out a candle.
Speaker: Another deep breath in, a pause, and out. This time, let's breathe in a positive intention for today's meditation. Maybe it's gratitude, forgiveness, love, or acceptance.
Speaker: Whatever it is that you're needing today, let's make the next inhale flood your body with an abundance of that intention. And then let's exhale stress, judgment, and pressure. Take a few moments for three more breaths. With each one, bring in more of the positive that you need
Speaker: And with each exhale, continuing to release what you don't. Allow your breath to fall back to a normal pattern now. And let's focus on your thoughts.
Speaker: I want you to paint a picture in your mind. The more details you can visualize, the more your brain will be able to connect with releasing negative things. Imagine you are lying in a beautiful grassy field or meadow, either on a soft blanket or maybe directly on the tall, thick grass.
Speaker: Notice how this feels underneath you as you're lying on it. There's a cloud blocking the sun that suddenly blows past. The sun breaks through and is right above you. Warm on your face and on your skin. Golden and comforting. Take in a long breath.
Speaker: As you notice the smells around you, the grass, the outdoors, maybe the sweet scent of some flowers nearby. What do you hear? The rustling of the breeze as it blows through the grass, some birds in the distance singing their song. No chatter, no traffic,
Speaker: No chaos around you. Just quiet call. Take a moment to allow your body to sink in a little deeper into the grass. Breathe in the meadow and your connection to nature around you.
Speaker: Now I want you to imagine looking up into the clear blue sky. A white cloud begins to form and take the shape of a word. As it comes into focus, you realize the word is stress. Your body stays relaxed as you see this word because you are simply observing it from below.
Speaker: it's not close enough for you to feel. Stress includes many things in life, but before you have time to think about the stress in your life, a gust of wind comes from the left and blows right through the cloud, scattering the figure and carrying it away and out of view. Stress isn't there and you can only see a clear sky again.
Speaker: Check back in with your body. Notice how relaxed it still feels. Gazing back at the sky, you notice other clouds forming. They begin to take shape too. These clouds all say something that represents the stress in your life.
Speaker: Maybe one says work, school, kids or family. Whatever seems to be stressing you lately becomes a word in a cloud so far away from you. You can no longer feel it, just see it. You are just observing.
Speaker: And as you see each cloud and begin to think of the stress the word brings, more wind comes carrying it away before you can become overwhelmed with any emotion. Before that stress can find you. You're still lying in the soft grass, no stress around you.
Speaker: Every time stress tries to formulate here, the gentle but firm wind comes to carry it away. Take another deep breath as you feel the grass beneath you, noticing that every time stress tries to reach you, the wind won't allow it. You are protected from all stress here.
Speaker: Repeat that pattern, grounding yourself and noticing how relaxed your body is, gazing up at the sky, noticing a cloud starting to form and take the shape of something you worry about. But before that worry can find you, the wind carries it away again. It has lost you.
Speaker: Again, as you gaze at the blue sky, this time a different word forms. The word that comes is free. You know that word means you are free from stress, pressure, anxiety, and of the world when you are in this safe field. When this word, free, has completely taken shape
Speaker: You notice no wind comes to carry it away. The cloud just gets more dense, fluffy, and bigger. As this cloud gets bigger, you notice that it's moving towards you. Close enough now that you could reach out and touch it.
Speaker: As you lie there on the ground, the cloud settles on top of you. It's soft, peaceful, comforting, and somehow familiar. It provides a comforting warmth that settles throughout your body, like a hug or a weighted blanket. It feels protective.
Speaker: It helps your body feel more and more relaxed. Nothing stressful can reach you now. You are free. As you're lying in the field with your body covered with the cloud, free from stress, notice how your body feels. Relaxed, calm, heavy,
Speaker: Take a deep breath. Notice how you were able to create this calm space for yourself today. You have this ability to come back to this state of being grounded and centered whenever you need to.
Speaker: As this cloud settles on you and your body feels so relaxed, imagine taking a glass bottle and capturing some of this cloud inside. This cloud represents your freedom from stress and the relaxed and calm feeling you feel in this moment.
Speaker: Bottle up this feeling that you have the ability to create for yourself so that you can take it with you and have access to it again whenever you need it. Take a big sigh of relief knowing that you know how to find freedom from stress.
Speaker: with one last scan of the body from the top of your head, all the way down to your toes. And thank your body for relaxing today. Having gratitude for this calm and relaxing place. And whenever you are ready, gently open your eyes and bring your awareness back to the room.
Speaker: Before you get up, take a moment to notice your body relaxed in the present, not just in the field, but in your room today. Maybe there's a slight smile on your face, knowing that at least for a brief moment, stress couldn't find you. Thank you for practicing with me today.
Speaker: Thanks for tuning in to this episode of outside of session. Remember, while I am a licensed therapist, this podcast is not a substitute for individual therapy. The contents of this episode are for educational and entertainment purposes only. If you are having a mental health emergency, please dial 911 for immediate assistance or dial 988 for the suicide and crisis lifeline.
