We are thrilled to team up with Crystal Augustono from Temple Honey Healing, to bring a meditation for self care to our community in honor of World Mental Health Day. Rest and care are essential as we work to abolish inequity in the workplace and beyond. Enjoy this brief, guided meditation as you center yourself, leave distractions behind, and indulge in self care for times of crisis and change. The full transcript appears below.
Hello and welcome. My name is Crystal of Temple Honey Healing, and today, I will be your meditation guide. While Inclusion Geeks recognizes the importance of your work, especially in today’s world, we also recognize the importance of taking time to regenerate, and come back to center.
We know that burnout is very real, but there are ways that we can hit pause or even reset when we need it the most. Because your mental health is just as important as your day to day work.
Meditation can be an incredibly useful tool in combating the feelings of overwhelm. It helps calm our mind by rerouting anxious and racing thoughts. And the wonderful thing about developing a meditation practice is that the more we work on it, the easier it is to pull away from the frenetic and overwhelming thoughts that may overcome us.
SO if you feel like you can use some extra nourishment for your mind, body, and spirit, then you’re in the right place. In just a few moments, I will ask you to join me in a visualization exercise. Where is your safe space? When things become too loud, where do you find comfort? Our goal is to build this place with our thoughts. Why? Because it can be difficult to hear ourselves amidst the stimuli of this world.
The news, social unrest, or even just the stress of our daily lives can leave our nervous system dialed all the way up to 100. You might notice that after unintentionally consuming the energy of these stressors, you feel different. It is very common to feel fatigue, headaches, and muscle tension, or even sinus pain. This is your mind’s way of communicating with your body and asking you for help. The signs of physical discomfort are a direct message asking you to slow down, and to disengage from the external stressors in your environment. If you can drop into a space that makes you feel space, the easier it is to allow the stress of that moment to pass.
My hope is that during our time together, you begin to craft that special place that you can drop into when you are in need of grounding and reassurance.
So, to reduce anxiety, start by taking a moment to check in with your body. Begin to relax and soften any unnecessary tension in your belly and shoulders. Find a posture that feels both relaxed and alert, perhaps sitting in your chair or even cross-legged on the floor. Now, close your eyes or look downward and rest your hands gently in your lap in an effortless way. Take a few moments to scan your awareness through the sensations of your body. And wherever possible, soften and release these obvious areas of physical tension. Notice where you may be holding it in your brow, your jaw, or lower back.
Allow the stress to flow out of you with each breath, breathing in deep, holding, and then releasing out through the mouth.
Do this three times.
Surrender to the comfortable space that surrounds you.
Once you’ve released as much as possible, start to bring yourself to one of your favorite places in your mind’s eye. This could be a place that you’ve been before, or one that is entirely built in your imagination. Wherever this place of peace is for you, take some time to imagine it as complete as possible all around you. Once you have this special place in your mind, bring yourself into the picture.
Imagine that you are in this beautiful place. Put yourself right there in the middle. Take a walk around and look at the surroundings.
Whereas before you were just looking, like a scene from a painting at a distance, now you are in the scene. You are living it. Be there right now.
What do you see around you? No need to answer aloud, just take note.
Perhaps you envision a slowly swaying bridge over a babbling brook that takes you away from the noise. The path guides you to a silent forest grove with cool shade and towering ancient trees. The leaves fall around you. And as you sit under the shade, you watch the orange sun turn to twilight. Feel the bark of the tree. Note where it is smooth and rough. Find yourself admiring the way it remains deeply rooted, no matter what unfolds around it.
Maybe you find yourself envisioning a nearly empty white sand beach where the ocean waves gently lap the shore. You look out and you see how the blue water seems to stretch endlessly. You can feel the soft sand beneath your feet as the waves rush to meet your toes. Notice how the ebb and flow of the water mimics your own deep breathing.
Enjoy this moment. Capture every sensation. It is yours.
Remember that this special place is always here for you, no matter what is going on in the outside world. You can come back whenever you wish. You need not be afraid to lose it, for it is always with you.
The peace you feel right now, at this moment, in your body, is yours to call on anytime that you wish.
Capture this feeling and remember the way that you can always return.
When you’re ready, slowly let the scene dissolve back into your mind. Allow yourself to slowly come back to that comfortable darkness that was there before you imagined this special place.
As you return your presence to reality in this space, notice how your breathing has slowed and the tension in your body has softened. Feel this relaxation as deeply as possible.
Wiggle your toes and your fingers, stretch your arms up and out if needed, and roll your head from left to right, right to left. And when you’re ready, and only when you are ready, slowly open your eyes and come back to this moment, this time, and this reality.
Before you get up, take a moment to note how relaxed you feel right now. And then slowly, attentively, remember that you can bring this calm and relaxation with you throughout the rest of your day.
Thank you so much for joining me today, and for taking this time out for yourself. May you always take care, and be well.
To learn more about professional development opportunities for emerging women+ leaders, visit our Rise Up Program section. To learn more about professional development opportunities on diversity, equity, and inclusion, visit our Corporate DEI Training section.