Welcome , zen friend , to this episode of A Drop of Zen , a short guided meditation designed to help you drop in and feel more calm and grounded . On today's episode , we are going to look at the different areas of your life that are causing you stress and then work on being present here in this moment in a way that you are able to let go of some of that stress for the time that we are together . So please find a good , comfortable seat or a place to lie down , make sure you're not driving , and we will begin . So let's close our eyes or just gaze down gently , and I'd love you to begin by just noticing your body where it meets the chair , the floor , the bed , whatever is beneath you , just bringing your attention there , and then noticing any sounds around you , noticing any smells in the room or the area that you're in , and then noticing any sensations in your body . We're just becoming present , allowing things to be exactly as they are . Maybe notice if your breathing is deep or shallow . Just notice what you notice . Then I'm going to invite you to start bringing to mind the areas of your life that are causing stress right now . I like to imagine a pile of clothing . If you've ever discarded clothes in a pile in your bedroom or next to your bed , or maybe you have a child or teenager who does this . You probably are getting a visual of how the clothes can pile up . So just bring a picture of that to mind and then I'd love for you to think of all the stress in your life right now , just like the clothing .
Speaker 1Pile the different areas of stress just in a heap , one stressful area on top of the other , and start to bring to mind what it is that's causing you stress lately . Is it a relationship , maybe with a family member , a friend or someone that you care about ? Is it a commitment ? Did you say yes to something you really wish you had said no to ? Is it something going on in a job , maybe a person that you're interacting with , or maybe a deadline or something coming up that you are dreading ? Maybe it was an exchange with someone that has left you feeling uncomfortable . Maybe there's a worry about a child or a family member . Maybe it's your home and trying to stay on top of keeping it neat and clean . Maybe it's feeling like you're coming up short in an area , perhaps as a parent or at work , or maybe caring for parents or other family members or friends , maybe something else .
Speaker 1Just start allowing yourself to really notice the things , the areas of your life that are bringing you stress right now . And then I would love for you to keep in mind that pile of stress in whatever way you visualize it . Imagine that you could take that pile , put it in a big giant box and send it somewhere far away . And go ahead and picture doing that , find that place in your imagination , where you would like to put it . It could be an outer space , it could be another country , it could be somewhere nearby . Just imagine where you'd like to put it . And then go ahead and see that box there in that space where you would like to leave all of that stress . See the box there and then imagine the picture of that box in your mind , kind of like a movie , where it just starts fading away .
Speaker 1And then we'll bring our attention back to the present moment . Connect with your body once again , feel the chair or the ground beneath you , feel the air around you , smell the smells , hear the sounds , maybe even say to yourself I am here , I am safe . We're going to take a nice deep breath in , inhale the present moment , exhale , imagine you can let go of something that's not serving you . Let it go . We'll do that again .
Speaker 1Inhale , really feeling yourself here in the present moment , with nothing to do right now but breathe . Exhale , let yourself sink a little deeper onto the floor or that chair and , just at your own pace , continue to take this beautiful , deep , nourishing breath in feeling the peace and calm of the present moment and exhale , imagine letting something go that just is not serving you now . Maybe it's tension in your body that you can let go of a little bit . Again , inhale , being fully present to the here and now . Exhale , feel a gentle release For the next two breaths .
Speaker 1Really think about letting some tension go as you exhale . And then one more time , breathe in deeply and fully , exhale , completely , allowing yourself to be here now , in this present moment , taking some time for yourself . Stay here as long as you'd like . When you are ready to come back , just gently flutter your eyes open , softly , gaze around the room . Just know that we all have stressors in our lives and that we will get to things all in good time . Doing one task , one thing at a time is all you need to do , and taking time out for yourself as you go will help you to get through whatever challenges you're facing today . I'm so glad you took some time for yourself and you joined me here today . Until next time , friend , I hope you'll continue to take some time today and every day to do something kind for yourself . Thank you for watching .