Stress Meditation- Recognizing Stress
 |
Why be aware of the bodies grounding sensation of hardness? |
To reduce becoming overwhelmed by stressful emotions or anxiousness thoughts. The grounding sensations of hardness are safe, because they are in the present moment. Stressful emotions are usually based on the second brains past memories. Stressful thoughts are usually based on the third brains concern for the future.
Suggested Pre Class Reading:
The Class will Include:
Moving the body to release stress
Settling into the "mountain" posture
Guided meditation to "sitting like a mountain"
Learning grounding from a stone
Discussion on Awareness
We Start by Gently Moving the Body to Release Held Stress
1st- Move the hips and arms like sea weed
2nd- Stretch and twist the spine
3rd- Massage the hands and face
Next We Gather in Awareness with a Grounded Sitting Posture:
1st- Feel the bodies sensations of heaviness in the hips, 'sitting like a mountain'
2nd- Feel the bodies sensations of hardness in the spine, 'tall like a tree'
3rd- Feel the bodies sensations of movement in the belly, 'soft as a feather'
Then We Guide the Mind:
After 15-20 minutes of gathering in the awareness back to the body "sitting like a mountain". If the thoughts in the mind are settling down and the emotions are starting to calm. Start to watch all your thoughts with interest and not trying to change them. Just allow them to come and go.
Awareness Practice
LEARNING AWARENESS FROM A STONE: The new thing (stone), with a child's interest inquire into the physical characteristics of this new thing. 1- Is it hard or soft?, 2- Is it rough or smooth?, 3- Is it heavy or light ?
BODY SENSATION AWARENESS: Placing the tip of the tongue against the inside of the top teeth. 1- Feel the sensations of hardness from the teeth, 2- Move the tip sideways and feel the roughness, 3- Feel the heaviness of the head and hips
TRUSTING AND LETTING GO: With the hips grounded allow the spine to naturally straighten with awareness. Drawing the awareness up the spine on the in breath and down the spine on the out breath. 1- Feeling the bodies sensations of hardness, roughness and heaviness. 2- Feeling the bodies posture and moments 3- Trusting the posture and letting go.(sighs and moans are welcomed)
For the last 1-2 minutes just let go of thinking, and rest in Loving Presence.
Lastly We Reflect on What was Experienced in the Meditation:
The felt sense of feeling grounded and safe.
Experience: The awareness of bodies grounding sensations of hardness.
Stress Demonstration
LEARNING ABOUT STRESS FROM A STONE: With a larger stone place in front of you. Reaching back and forth touching the stone lightly for sometime. Using it as an example of how the brain functions (touch and go).
HEALTHY STRESS:Next on a inhale pick-up the object of experience (stone) and on the exhale set to back down again. Then rest for 1 breath cycle (inhale & exhale). Again with awareness pick the stone up slowly and return it back down slowly and rest. This is a model of healthy necessary stress. It accomplishes something, strengthening the muscles in the arm and the attention in the brain.
UNHEALTHY STRESS: Next on a inhale pick-up the object of experience (stone) and hold it with the fingers pointed down for 7 breath cycles. Grasping the stone (object of experience tightly). Be aware of the breath. Is it shallow or deep? Be aware of the mood of the mind. Is it tight or lose? Then slowly put the stone down and be aware of the physical body sensations of the breath. Is it longer or short? Does the mood of the mind feel heavier or lighter? This is a model of unhealthy unnecessary stress. In time it can cause the arm muscles and the minds attention to weaken.
Discussion Points:
Awareness is not intellectual knowledge, it is before thinking.
"Where awareness goes, energy flows".
"Awareness is enough"
Additional Practices:
Summary:
The 1st brain function of freezing can cause unhealthy overwhelm to form in the mind leading to burnout.
The physical/behavioral stress list, alerts us to stressful symptoms we may have considered normal.
In "sitting like a mountain", we keep coming back to the grounding sensations of hardness in the body.
Because awareness of body sensations are always in the present, they can breakup unhealthy emotions and anxious thought loops.