Two Simple Meditations for Anxiety

Meditation - Focusing on the Present Moment

Meditation is the practice of mindfulness - being aware of the present moment. When we center our focus on what is immediately happening, we move away from ruminations of the past, and we let go of worrying about the future. The only thing that any of us have is truly the present moment. Savoring the present moment with our attention is one of the healthiest and kindest actions we can take for ourselves.

Here are two simple meditation practices we share with you:

1 - Box Breathing

Your breath is always available to you. Breathing happens automatically and we rarely give it a thought. Focusing on your breath is one of the simplest ways to practice mediation. Start by taking one deep breath in, followed by one long breath out. Repeat this two more times. Now for the box breathing: slowly count to 4 as you breathe in; hold your breath at the top to the count of 4; slowly release your breath to the count of 4 as you exhale; hold your breath at the bottom as you count to 4. Now repeat. Make sure your counts to 4 are steady, and imagine the four sides of a box as you do your counts to 4. 

If you find your mind or heart racing, pause and do 4-5 rounds of box breathing. You will immediately feel more grounded and calm.  

2- Five Senses Meditation

Your 5 senses - touch, hearing, sight, smell and taste - are also available for most people. We go through life living in our heads, and rarely pause to focus on each of the stimuli that are coming to our senses all at once, that allow us to perceive our world. 

Take a few deep breaths to get ready for your senses. Notice 5 things that you can feel, notice 4 things you can hear, notice 3 things you can see, notice 2 things you can smell, notice 1 thing you can taste. 

If you need to feel more grounded and you are feeling overwhelmed, pause and stand or sit while you do the following: take two deep breaths, and notice your senses: Here are some examples of what you may notice:

Touch: you may notice the touch of your glasses on your face, the softness of your sweater touching your wrist, the squishy padded inside bottom of your sneaker, the feeling of your watch strap, and the coolness of the wind on your skin. 

Hear: you may notice the sound of cars driving by, the sound of two people talking next to you, the background sound of music playing, and the tap of someone on their laptop.

Sight: you may notice the irregular grain of wood on the floor board, the browned tip of the leaf of a plant in the corner, a smudge on a white wall. 

Smell: you may smell the scent of someone's perfume, the smell of new construction.

Taste: you may notice the lingering taste of coffee in your mouth.

Take-Home Points

You can meditate when you are standing or sitting, with your eyes open or closed. You can meditate in a quiet meadow, or you can meditate in the chaos of closed quarters with family members or friends. Meditation is always accessible to you!