Applied Awareness

12/02/2023

S A T U R D A Y M E D I T A T I O N

Listen carefully to the sounds of nature for just 10 minutes and start your day connected with everything.

https://appliedawareness.org/nature-sounds/

If you’re not familiar with Applied Awareness Nature-Based Meditation there are basic instructions further down below the audio files.

11/29/2023

Ｗｅｄｎｅｓｄａｙ Ｍｅｄｉｔａｔｉｏｎ

Gently and quickly shake or tremble all the fingers on both hands for a count of 10, then suddenly stop. Notice your calm mind.

This is a simple form of somatic shaking or therapeutic shaking that involves intentionally inducing and allowing the body to shake or tremble as a way to release stored tension and trauma from the nervous system. For best results shake/vibrate your whole body.

11/27/2023

ℳℴ𝓃𝒹𝒶𝓎 ℳℯ𝒹𝒾𝓉𝒶𝓉𝒾ℴ𝓃

Count 1,2,3 very quickly 10 times, counting on your fingers. Then count down 3,2,1 very very slowly 3 times. Notice how your mind has slowed and calmed.

This works by using principals of subconscious awareness where the mind going from fast to slow energizes and calms down leaving us with a calm energetic mind. It’s the same process we often use with walking meditation to achieve a calm energized mind.

11/26/2023

𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕄𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

Look around you and notice the space in the room and be the space.

Notice how the space is there no matter what furniture and other items might be in it…the space is still there, unaffected. Be the space.

You are the space and our thoughts are like items in the space. They exist, but don’t effect the space which goes endlessly beyond the room in all directions. Be the space.

11/25/2023

𝙎𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth like you were going to make a “T” sound and remain aware of the feeling of the tongue on the roof of your mouth for 10-15 seconds. Then notice how quiet your mind is.

This works sort of like a switch, putting our dialog on pause, which also pauses our internal dialog. You may notice that as soon as you release your tongue from the roof of your mouth that your internal dialog resumes.

11/24/2023

𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

Close your eyes and slowly count down 3, 2, 1, and relax the muscles in your neck and shoulders. Repeat this three times.

We tend to tense up our shoulders and neck when we feel stressed or anxious. Purposely relaxing those muscles releases tension and stress or anxiety that caused us to tense up. Counting down slowly slows the mind, making it easier to relax.

11/22/2023

𝕎𝕖𝕕𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕄𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

Take a deep cleansing breath and hold it for a few seconds then slowly exhale.

Taking a deep breath to refresh and refocus is a natural meditation most of us do already. We can get further the benefits by doing it more often as a stress preventative.

11/21/2023

T U E S D A Y M E D I T A T I O N

Wash your hands, feel the temperature and wetness on your hands. Feel the texture and slipperiness of the soap, let your fingers dangle in the water for a second after rinsing. Notice how calm your mind is.

This works by taking up your full attention and temporarily distracting you from your auto-pilot mental habits.

11/20/2023

M O N D A Y M E D I T A T I O N

For 30 seconds listen very carefully to everything you can hear without focusing on any one sound. Notice your calm mind.

This works by taking up your full attention and temporarily distracting you from your auto-pilot mental habits.

11/16/2023

PTSD Stress & Anxiety Meditation

This meditation should be used in conjunction with therapy, not as an alternative to therapy. You should also let your therapist know you are using this meditation.

https://appliedawareness.org/ptsd-stress-anxiety-meditation/

11/16/2023

T H U R S D A Y M E D I T A T I O N

Quickly breathe in, taking a deep breath. Hold it for 5 seconds, then slowly exhale for a count of 10. Notice how your mind has slowed and calmed.

This works by using principals of subconscious awareness where the mind going from fast to slow energizes and then calms down leaving us with a calm energetic mind. It’s the same process we often use with walking meditation to achieve a calm energized mind.

11/15/2023

Stress and anxiety relief meditations like mindfulness or the following work great with normal to elevated levels of stress and anxiety. Yet, they have limits to how much they can help with PTSD induced anxiety where there is a danger of just using it to avoid anxiety and it becomes an avoidance behavior to hide from the world.

With the above warning, here is a simple technique you can use to take the edge off stress or anxiety, which should be used in concert with therapy, not as an alternative to therapy. You should also let your therapist know you are using this meditation.

Just kick back in a comfy chair or just lay down and notice your natural breathing in and out while you relax all the muscles in your body. Being aware of your natural breathing, further relax all the muscles in your body with every exhale for 12-15 minutes.

If you have difficulties when paying attention to breathing such as a lack of breath or feel a heaviness on your chest, common with people who have asthma, instead of paying attention to breathing, silently count down 3,2,1 then start over at 3 again. Each time you each time you count down relax all the muscles in your body.