5 Minute Meditation: Anxiety

This video guides viewers through a calming meditation practice designed to help manage anxiety. It emphasizes self-acceptance, non-judgment, and the importance of mindful breathing to achieve a state of calm and ease.

Good morning. I know you're experiencing anxiety right now, but it's okay. It doesn't define you, and it certainly doesn't determine the outcome of your day. We'll work through this together. Let yourself get into a comfortable position. For this practice, it might be best if you lie down on your back. However, if that's not feasible, just sit comfortably. When your body feels comfortable, lovingly close your eyes, and place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly. Very often, when we are experiencing anxiety, we're not giving ourselves the breath we need, so let's do that now. On your next inhale, allow your belly to expand. Meanwhile, let your upper chest remain relatively calm and still. As you exhale, feel your belly contract, while your upper chest continues to remain relatively still. Belly expands as you breathe in and contracts as you breathe out, letting your upper chest be relatively neutral. Really let your belly do all the work here as best you can. As you let yourself know, it's okay. There's no need to judge yourself for feeling how you feel. We all have every right to feel any emotion we're ever experiencing, and you are no exception to that. In this moment, you let your body, your heart, and your mind know that you are here for them. You will honor them and respect them. You will give them what they need to be calm, to be at ease. That includes not running away from emotions when they happen, but embracing yourself as you are now. Be kind and gentle to yourself. Take the attitude of non-judgment, and instead, accept. Accept yourself even in the face of feeling anxiety. Say to yourself, "I love you and accept you, even when you're feeling anxious." Now, on your next inhale, breathe in for a count of four, and as you exhale, breathe out for a count of eight, all the while keeping your upper chest as calm and still as feels good to you.