Breathe Deeply: A Meditation for Stress Relief

When life takes an unexpected turn, our body starts to release chemicals in order to deal with the stress of adapting. However, if the stress is extended and not just a temporary event, our body can struggle to handle those chemicals of adrenaline and cortisol which can strain our filter organs and start to make us feel drained or worn down.

In order to de-stress, we can look to the time tested practices of meditation and breathing. They activate the part of the body that works as a switch to turn off our ‘fight-or-flight’ mode.

This simple meditation is not another thing that will just be added to the list of tasks that you won’t enjoy. This will actually make you feel more joyful, help you restore your energy, and inspire you to see ways of embracing challenges in your life with a glass-half-full perspective.

Science Proves Meditation Relieves Stress

Studies have shown that meditation can help with real problems we face like high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and pain. The mind-body connection is a vital component to our well being and our ability to go about our day without these crippling symptoms.

Often our mind looks outside of ourselves to find the answers to lower our stress but really it’s the very mind itself causing the stress. When our mind is constantly bombarding us with negative thoughts, we are going to feel the emotions that link to those thoughts.

When we train ourselves to find a peaceful place in our mind, we can start to feel harmony return to our bodies. As we direct the mind to focus on calmness, the emotions follow and the body responds to the positive chemicals released by these positive feelings.

Studies also show meditation actually helps release happy chemicals like GABA, melatonin, serotonin, DHEA, and endorphins. Are you ready to get a natural high?

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Prepare for Your Meditation

Cultivate a peaceful place to meditate like creating a set for a movie or play. In this way, you’ll make it easier for your body to relax. As we play the role of the meditator, our body’s senses will respond to the idea of relaxation that we associate with soothing sounds, smells, and lighting.

Go ahead and light some candles, dim the lights, burn some incense, and play that old-school Enya or Reiki music that makes you instantly feel more at ease. Make a special place for yourself to sit comfortably and meditate.

Meditation to De-Stress

In this meditation, you will release the thoughts that are the root of your stress and then fill your mind with positive thoughts.

Begin

Let’s begin by taking five slow and deep breaths in and out of your nose. With each exhale, allow your body to relax more and more. Throughout the rest of the meditation breathe slowly and deeply in and out of your nose.

Release

Now you will set the intention to release all stress about your relationships. Any negative thoughts between you and someone else are released as you exhale. You are not those thoughts, they do not own you, and you have the power to release them.

Set Your Intentions

Next, you will set the intention to release all stress about work and money. All worries are now being given to the Universe to handle. You are no longer holding them and they will not help you. You give them to the Universe as you exhale.

Next, you will set the intention to release all stress about what people think about you and how you look. All judgments and self-criticism will be released from your energy field with this intention. Take a deep breath and as you exhale, all concerns about external appearances are relinquished completely.

You will now set the intention to release the feeling of loneliness. All the ideas you have that being alone is bad will leave you now as you take a deep breath in and exhale releasing them completely.

Release

And now it is time to release all worry about the future. You don’t need to figure out how to make things perfect, you only need to release the negative thoughts, and you will feel better. Take a deep inhale and as you exhale, release those anxious feelings and thoughts completely.

Let’s now set the intention to not worry about your health. You will feel better physically, mentally and spiritually when you have high vibrations and so releasing worries about what might happen, gives you better overall health. Take a deep breath and release all worries about your health right now as you exhale.

Finally, let’s release the story that you need to do more to be better or fix everything. All the shoulds and obligating thoughts will be released from your energy field and mind as you take a deep breath in and exhale.

Visualize

Now your energy field is clear, vibrating, strong and ready to be reprogrammed with positivity. Visualize a clear and vibrant bubble surrounding you. Sense the same energy filling your cells. This is pure, raw life force energy. Now you will give it a positive focus which will amplify your energy and help you create positive momentum in the quantum fields of time and space.

Affirm

To set this intention, take three deep breaths to prepare yourself. Now mentally state this affirmation with all your will, all your positivity, and all your focus, “I feel super positive and optimistic in the past, present, and future. I am full of positive energy.”

At the very core, you are a spirit, you don’t need anything but the ability to give love. You are here to simply share loving energy and that is all we need to be happy. You can release all the other ideas and stories and just sense your true loving essence which is beyond your body. You are pure spiritual love.

Conclude & Breathe

Finally, visualize yourself having fun, really having such a good time that you laugh, you feel free, and you genuinely enjoy yourself and life. Let this visualization lift you into the rest of your day as you take one more deep breath and come back to waking consciousness.

Continue Your Practice

Depending on how you’re feeling, you may want to start by using this meditation three times each day. Each time you meditate, you retrain your brain to think positively. You will start to experience the amazing benefits of the law of attraction as you become more positive and release stress-related thoughts.

Closing

You are the master of your destiny and meditation helps you rise above fear to choose how you want to experience life and what you want to attract.

Use our many resources about meditation to try other fun meditations, learn about different types of meditation, do at home yoga flows, and learn about your mind-body connection. We post daily content to boost your spirits and empower you to feel great. If you’re needing help sleeping or reducing anxiety, check out the apps that can help you with more guided meditations.

If you found this meditation helpful, consider sharing it with your friends who may be dealing with stress and needing an emotional and mental reboot. Thank you for being a part of our virtual community of healing and well being. Finally, when you start to feel that pressure (anxiety/stress) building up, just remember that it’s like a computer with too many tabs open.

You don’t need to think more to find the solution to that feeling, you just need to think less and relax with a few deep breaths. Oh and of course keep your body moving each day to keep your energy flowing, drink lots of water, and eat lots of healthy foods!

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