So just taking a moment to really

settle into this position that

you've chosen for meditation.

And when you're ready,

letting the eyes gently close.

And as a support to really settling

in here a little bit more fully, just

taking three deep, slow, full breaths.

So breathing in and feeling

the lungs expand on the inhale.

And breathing out, feeling all the

muscles of the lungs and the chest

relax and gently contract back.

So just taking two more

breaths like that now.

And with each exhale, can you get

a sense of allowing any tension or

tightness in the body to soften,

even if it's just a little bit.

So a softness in the jaw.

And the shoulders.

In the belly.

And the whole body.

And on the next exhale, once you

let that breath go, just relaxing

any control of the breath.

Let the body breathe in its own rhythm.

Just continuing to stay in touch

with the feeling of the breath.

Just being attentive to the

movement and sensation of breathing.

Just continuing to follow the breath now.

Following the breathing in.

And the breathing out.

And as you follow the breath,

if at some point you get lost in

thought or distracted by something,

in that moment, really tuning

into what caught your attention.

Was it as sound?

A thought?

Or perhaps a feeling?

So each time you're drawn by a

distraction, just mentally note it.

So if there's sadness, you

might note, ah, sadness.

If there's anxiety, you might

mentally note, oh, anxiety.

Or if you prefer to keep it simpler,you can just note, ah, feeling.

If you get lost in thoughts,

just mentally noting, thinking.

And after you've noted, just

letting go of what distracted you

and returning your attention to the

feeling and the flow of the breath.

So you don't have to note every single

thought and feeling that arises,

just the ones that distract you and

pull you out of the present moment.

And as this practice finishes,

taking another deep breath in.

And as you let it go, just beginning

to wriggle fingers and toes.

And when you're ready, opening the eyes.

So throughout the rest of the

day, you can take this practice

of mental noting with you.

Remember if you're aware of

anxious, thoughts arising,

you can name it to tame it.

And the more you note your thoughts

and emotions, the less they can hook

you and draw you into reactivity.

And with continued practice, mental

noting can become like second nature

and act as an anchor to your calm

center and a steady awareness.

The more you keep at it, the more

your anxiety can begin to dissolve.