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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners

10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation

What is Meditation?

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Transforming Fear and Anxiety

Cory Muscara

00:00

00:00

Meditation

4.4

Duration

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Transforming Fear and Anxiety

In this meditation, we'll learn to alchemize fear and anxiety into a more useful, productive, and exciting experience.

Let's start by settling

into a comfortable posture.

This could be sitting,

lying down or standing.

If it feels okay to do so,

you can close your eyes.

And we'll take one deep breath

together as a way to settle in.

Breathing in through the nose.

And slowly out through the mouth.

Inviting the jaw to soften.

Let the shoulders be at ease.

And the belly and hands.

Just do a quick scan of your body

and notice arethere any areas

that are also holding tension.

Maybe the feet or muscles in the face.

You can invite all of that to relax.

The body doesn't need to be on right now.

Letting the muscles relax

around the skeleton.

As we start to settle in, the breath

can fall into its natural rhythm.

And let's just take a few moments to

anchor our attention at the breath.

As the mind wanders, gently bringing

it back, this moment, this breath.

The theme of this meditation is

working with fear and anxiety.

Specifically, learning how to

meet it in such a way that we

can be empowered through it.

So notice if there is a sense of

stress, anxiety, fear right now.

And if there's not, you can take a moment

to imagine what that might feel like

or even a scenario that would create

a little bit of that fear and anxiety.

You don't need to make it

too strong, but just to get a

sense of familiarity with it.

Notice how our usual way of working

with that is to turn it away

or even view it as a negative.

But instead let's change the narrative

around this fear and anxiety.

And as we sense it in the body,

let's just say, Oh, this is my

body trying to take care of me.

This is my body trying to

empower me to meet the moment.

This is my body trying to

help me be more effective.

Or, we just reframe the

sensation as excitement.

This is me getting ready for something.

This is excitement moving through my body.

Just see what it's like to place

that narrative on the experience.

As we come to the end of the meditation.

Let's take one more deep breath together.

In through the nose.

And out through the mouth.

And when you're ready, you

can open your eyes again.

Great job.

So see if you can start to reframe

the fear, anxiety, and stress

as it arises throughout the day.

The new narrative around it

creates a new experience.

Thank you for your practice.

And until we talk again, take care.

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