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Title: Mental Health Fitness - Mindful meditation

Presenter: Amy Hopkins, Clinical Social Worker

Mindful meditation exercise

If you’re like me, you know how helpful meditation can be, but getting your mind to stay in that calming space can be difficult.

Try this meditation technique where I pair a visualization and diaphragmatic breathing.

The visualization helps keep your mind in the moment and your breath helps you relax and reduce stress.

First, I’ll review the instructions and then we will do the technique together. Sit or lay in a comfortable position.

Relax your muscles, drop your shoulders, relax your face and mouth Place a hand on your lower stomach. When you breathe in you should feel your hand on your lower stomach expand out.

Now, I want you to visualize a triangle.

As you breathe in, imagine you are moving up one side of the triangle, for a count of 5. Breathe in, moving up the triangle — 1,2,3,4,5.

When you reach the top of the triangle, hold your breath as move down the other side of the triangle — 1,2,3,4,5.

Now breathe out as you move across the bottom of the triangle, back to your starting point — 1,2,3,4,5.

Now let’s do this together.

We’re going to breathe in for a count of 5, as we visualize moving up the side of triangle.

Then we’ll hold our breath for a count of 5 as we come back down the other side of the triangle.

And then breathe out for a count of 5 until we’re back at the starting point.

Here we go.

Breathe in, moving up the triangle — 1,2,3,4,5.

Hold it, as we move down the side of the triangle — 1,2,3,4,5.

Breathe out, as we travel along the bottom of the triangle — 1,2,3,4,5.

You are now back at the starting point of your triangle.

You can continue to do this exercise until you feel your body relax or your stress and anxiety reduce.

You can count to a higher number if that’s comfortable.

If you catch your mind wandering, know that’s normal and okay. Just gently return your thoughts to moving about the triangle and your breath.

The important piece here is to do what works for you.