Anxiety in the Age of Outbreak: Music-Based Meditation (By: Rebecca Gildea)
When the world around us feels like it’s burning, when there is uncertainty about our basic needs, we can start to feel the severe intensity of our most basic fears arise.
Every human deserves to feel safe, secure, and healthy, but those rights can feel like they get lost in uncertain times.
When we feel our anxieties rise, when we feel shortness of breath and feelings of powerlessness, that is the time to engage most deeply with ourselves. There are so many things out of our control, but we always have ourselves: the foundation of our feet and base, the constant -and sometimes changing- rhythm of our breath, the beauty of our senses engaging with the world, the wondrous and endless synapses of our cognition, keeping our bodies alert and alive.
A Practice of Coming Back to the Self
In these moments we can practice coming back to ourselves. If it feels right to you, try practicing this self-guided meditation practicing gratitude and groundedness. Substitute any language that fits your body, let the intuitive words arise as you focus on each space in the body.
Meditation:
Find a quiet space. Sit comfortably on the ground or in a chair. Let your eyes soften and close. Allow your mind to notice your breath. Notice your breath entering your mouth or your nose. Follow that breath all the way to the base of your lungs and back out again. With each breath, you welcome peace and stillness to your body. Place your hands on your feet, and say “these are my feet, which move me throughout the world, who offer me balance and intuitive wisdom in that movement.” Allow your hands to move to your legs. Feel your ankles, your calves, your knees and thighs. “These are my legs which allow me to move with grace and flexibility in an ever changing world.” Bring your hands around your base and your hips. “These are my hips, my foundation and stability.” Feel your belly. Feel it rise and fall with each expanding and contracting breath. “This is my belly, it nourishes me. It notices and responds to my feelings. It delights as well as fears. I am grateful for this intuitive belly.” Allow your hands to move to your chest. “This is my chest, the frame of my breath, the safety of my heart. I feel it strong yet soft and gentle.” Feel your shoulders, your arms, your wrists. “These are my arms that guide and explore, brace and embrace.” Hold your hands and fingers. “These are my hands, they create and destroy, build up and take down, they are warm and soft and ready.” Finally, bring your hands to your face. Notice your mouth, your cheeks, your nose, your eyes. Feel the top of your head, the back, the neck. “This is my face, my beautiful face, which tells my story and notices the world. This is my head and neck, which protect my mind, allow me to observe and act in kind.” Allow your hands to come together in the center of the body. “This is my whole body, kind, gentle, and whole. I am grateful for this body that invites me to explore the world, that allows me to experience and connect and feel. May I be filled with peace and gratitude. May I send this peace and gratitude to all of the beings I share this world with.”
Slowly, open your eyes, return to the room. Thank yourself for taking the time to be with yourself today, and take that gratitude to face the rest of the day with. Thank you, Rebecca