Last week we published an episode all about self-care: what it is, what it isn’t, and how YOU can begin your own practice. This week, we’re diving a little deeper. This guided meditation is an opportunity for you to listen to your body and ask, “what self-care am I in need of right now?” Feel free to come back to it any time you need a little reminder.
Transcription
Think meditation is hard? Do me a favor, take a slow deep breath in and now breathe out. Congratulations, you just meditated. Hi, I’m Krystal Jakosky, and this is Breathe In, Breathe Out: a Weekly Mindfulness and Meditation podcast for anyone ready to own their own shit and find a little peace while doing it.
Hello and welcome back to Breathe In, Breathe Out. Last week, we did an episode on self-care and what I believe self-care really is. This week, we are going to do a guided meditation for self-care. If you didn’t have a chance to listen to the podcast last week, I highly encourage you to just go back and check in and maybe come up with your own definition of self-care and where and how you want it to be.
So this week is a guided meditation. I hope that you can just get comfy for a minute. Find a place to either sit or lay down just a space that you can be comfortable and let go for a minute. This is a gift to you. This is your moment to receive self-care and encouragement and a little boost.
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If your mind starts to wander, just acknowledge that little thought and bring it right back to your breathing and all of the sensations that are happening. When you breathe, it’s more than just your nose. It’s more than just your body expanding and releasing. This is life-giving air coming into your body, feeding all of your cells.
And with another deep cleansing breath, we’ll start a scan at the very top of your head. Breathe that oxygen into your scalp, and then breathe out with your next breath. Start scanning down your head and your forehead a little. Notice where you feel any stress, any tightness in the muscles, breathe that air right into that muscle. And as you breathe out, feel it release, relax, let go. Keep scanning down your eyebrows and your eyelids, your nose, your cheeks, these beautiful facial muscles that help you express your thoughts and your feelings. Another deep, deep breath, and continue down your ears, your nose, your lips, and your chin. Feel all those muscles. Just go there. Relax as you sink further into the surface that’s supporting you.
And on another deep breath in, feel the muscles at the base of your neck just let go. They hold your head up high. This is their chance to relax. Another deep breath in as you continue scanning down your neck and out to your shoulders. They carry so much weight. Thank them for their support and strength as you breathe in and out. And as you breathe in, continue scanning down your arms, your elbows, your forearms, your wrists, all the way out your fingers, have them relax and let go. Feel them totally at peace. With another deep breath, we started scanning your chest and your back, your ribs, all of those muscles that help in your breathing, your intercostals as your rib cage expands, and then comes back in.
Feel those muscles release as you sink further into the surface completely and totally supporting you and your entire body. This is a gift. Let your body go and continue scanning and your belly where all of your digestion happens turns food into nourishment so that you can continue going, moving, and creating. Take a deep breath into that stomach area. And out as it all relaxes in the moment. And you continue scanning down your hips, your buttocks, and your thighs – powerful thighs and legs. They carry you through your day. Nice deep breath in down your knees, your calves, your ankles, tops of your feet, the arches, all the way out your toes.
Take another deep cleansing breath. And out. Your body is totally at peace in this beautiful, intentional, gifted moment. A moment of self-care to let it go. A moment to release. A moment to be connected with yourself, the amazingness that you are breathing the gift. So beautiful. Take a deep breath.
And there is a beautiful color in the center of your chest. Is it a beautiful orange color? Is it white? Some beautiful shade of green or blue? This beautiful life force – connect into that for just a moment. Feel it. It’s so positive. Joy, peace, breathe into that space and notice how it expands a little. It’s warm and soothing.
We’d like it to expand some more. So breathe into that again. And as you continue to inhale and exhale, it just keeps expanding until it encompasses your entire being. This beautiful light encompasses you like a cocoon. When your arms stretch out, it modifies and stretches out with your arms. When you bring them in, it comes in with you. This is strong and beautiful. This is a protective bubble. You can give this to yourself any time, take a breath. This bubble lets you give out positive love and it helps to block any negativity that wants to come in.
You can add colors to it, whatever color you want. And however many you want. Maybe it’s iridescent and rainbow, or maybe there’s just one solid, confident one that you want throughout any regular day. At any given time, you can add this pebble and another and another. Breathe in, breathe out. You feel so much better than you did – so much more relaxed and light. Feel the joy and peace. Enter yourself. A part of you feeding you, feeling you.
And now it’s time to come back in this moment. So as you take another deep breath, you start to become more aware of the surface that you’re on and the way that your body is supported. And with another breath, you become even more alert and aware. You wiggle your fingers and toes. As you become more present to the space that you are in. And with another deep breath, you open your eyes, stretch, and move. You’re excited for the day and you’re to embrace whatever comes.
You are alert. You are awake. You are grounded, you are beautiful. Set an intention for love and self-care. Thank you so much for giving yourself this gift. Thank you for being here with me today. Thank you for taking a moment to just make life so much better just by being present here in the moment I look forward to seeing you again here on Breathe In, Breathe Out, and I encourage you to come back and redo this any time you feel you need another boost.
I hope this moment of self-care and healing brought you some hope and peace. I’m @krystaljakosky on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube and I hope you check us out and follow along for more content coming soon. I look forward to being with you again here on Breathe In, Breathe Out. Until next time, take care.