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A Soothing Breath: Your 5-Min Reset Button for Everyday Stress
Hello, and welcome. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here. It's late November, that time of year when everything starts feeling a little urgent, doesn't it? The holidays are creeping in, your to-do list is probably doing backflips, and you might be carrying that weight around in your shoulders right now without even realizing it. Well, today we're going to set that down for just five minutes. Just five. You deserve that.
Go ahead and get comfortable wherever you are. If you're sitting, let your feet land flat on the ground. If you're lying down, that works too. There's no wrong way to show up for yourself right now. Just settle in and let your body know it's safe to relax, even for just a moment.
Now, let's start by noticing your breath. Not changing it, just noticing it. Breathe in through your nose for a count of four, feeling that cool air enter. Hold it for just a second. Then exhale through your mouth, slowly, like you're releasing a sigh you didn't know you were holding. One more time. In for four. Out for longer. Good.
Here's what we're going to do today. I want you to imagine your stress as something physical, something tangible. Maybe it's a gray cloud sitting on your chest. Maybe it's tension pooled in your neck like water. Whatever it is for you, just picture it. Now, with each exhale, imagine that stress dissolving. Not all at once. Gently. Like salt dissolving into warm water.
Keep breathing. In through the nose, grounding yourself in the present moment. Out through the mouth, releasing what doesn't serve you. And here's the thing I want you to remember: you can do this breath anywhere. In your car before a meeting. At your desk. Standing in line at the grocery store. This isn't magic, but it's close. It's your built-in reset button.
As we close, take one more deep breath together. Feel your feet on the ground. Feel yourself here, now, lighter than you were five minutes ago. You just gave yourself a gift. Carry that ease with you. When stress creeps back in today, it will, just remember: you have your breath. You have this practice.
Thank you for joining me on Daily Mindfulness: Five-Minute Meditations for Stress Relief. If this resonated with you, please subscribe so you never miss a moment of calm. I'll be here tomorrow, and I hope you will too.
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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Published on 3 weeks, 5 days ago