MetaMinds
®
Guided Exercises
I hope some of these guided exercises can serve as a first aid support for those challenging times while others can help you soak up and savor those enjoyable times. These exercises are rooted in my Somatic Experiencing® and Inner Relationship Focusing training.
Each exercise includes options so you can exercise agency by doing what fits and feels right for you. These guided exercises are not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment.
“I need a moment.”
Sometimes we only have a few minutes before we need to pick up the phone, send an email, head into a meeting etc. If you’re wanting to find your footing before continuing on, then you might enjoy this exercise. Click here to download the guided exercise. Approx. 6 mins.
Coming Back to You
So often the rushed rhythm of our days and its clamoring demands can take us away from ourselves. This guided exercise invites you to come back to yourself … to reconnect with the feel of you. Click here to download the guided exercise. Approx. 12 mins.
“Oh no you didn’t!”
Anger isn’t bad or wrong. It often arises because we feel we’ve been violated, ignored, shamed, judged, or rejected. Perhaps, it's more like a mix of those experiences. So, no wonder we’re angry! There’s an intelligence and self-protective strength to anger. This exercise invites you to skillfully turn towards your experience so that you get to have your anger without getting burned by it. Click here to download the guided exercise. Approx. 15 mins.
"I'm tired of feeling this way."
Life can feel even harder when we're struggling with anxiety, depression, burn out or something else. Perhaps, you're tired of feeling the way you do. Maybe, there's even a worry that you'll always feel like this. If so, I have some good news ... change is possible! Any uncomfortable feeling (no matter how long we've been experiencing it!) can shift when we're with it in a particular way. In this guided exercise I’ll be inviting you to be with what you’re feeling AND the reaction to that feeling. By giving company to both the feeling AND the feeling about the feeling, you'll be creating the conditions for the shifts you seek and relief you want.
So as not to make this guided exercise too long, I’ve divided it into two parts. Click here to download Part ONE (Approx. 19 mins.) and click here to download Part TWO (Approx. 17 mins.)
Inner Critic: From Foe to Friend
You may be wondering, Why would I ever want to turn towards my Inner Critic? Shouldn't I be trying to fight back, refute it, or ignore it? That’s understandable but doing so would cause you to miss out on an opportunity. Inner Critics are often worried about something; the louder they scream the more worried they are. Believe it or not, they actually have our best interests at heart, but we need to go beneath what they're saying to discover that. As you go through this exercise, you may find your Inner Critic shifting from an enemy to a frenemy to a loyal, loving ally! Click here to download the guided exercise. Approx. 16 mins.
Taking Time to Enjoy Joy
Many of us find our attention is often drawn towards what went wrong, what is wrong and what might go wrong. And, if we have a trauma history, then we’re even more oriented toward the possibility of threats and danger. Dr. Rick Hanson, author and psychologist, says it perfectly, “Our brains are hardwired for survival, not quality of life.” So, taking time to enjoy what’s pleasant is not only nourishing, it’s also necessary. Click here to download the guided exercise. Approx. 10 mins.
Transforming Triggers
Feeling triggered is uncomfortably hard! Often what makes the situation even worse is when someone with the best of intentions tells us,"It's not so bad," "You're over reacting," or "At least ...." And yet trying to talk ourselves out of how we're feeling usually doesn't bring about a lasting shift or easing up. Feeling triggered is your body's way of signaling something in your present experience is activating an unhealed hurt from your past. That's what makes triggers so darn triggering! And why what's super triggering for you may only be a mild irritant for someone else. In other words, there's some good reason why you're feeling the way you do. If you're struggling with BIG feelings and wanting to experience some relief, then you might be interested in this guided exercise. Click here to download the guided exercise. Approx. 18 mins.
Experiencing Ease with Open Eyes
It is possible to resource ourselves when we're in public spaces that require us to keep our eyes open ... like being in a meeting, on the subway, at a traffic light or some place else. Want to know how? Try looking at the space between objects and then... noticing what happens within as you do. Our brains are wired to focus on objects, which causes our attention to narrow. Stress also causes our attention to narrow and our bodies to constrict. However, when we notice the space between objects, our brains (and therefore our bodies!) get a break ... and we can feel a greater sense of steadiness and ease. If you're curious to experience this for yourself, then you might be interested in this guided exercise. In addition to this exercise being rooted in SE and IRF, it's also shaped by Dr. Les Fehmi's work. Approx. 6 mins.
Time Out to Tune In
We often dash and dart from one thing to the next, and in doing so, we accumulate a pile-up of stress, frustration, resentment and more. Children aren’t the only ones who need transition time. We need transition time too! So, if you’re feeling a bit off balance and wanting to feel a more ease and steadiness, then this exercise may be for you. Click here to download the guided exercise. Approx. 15 mins.
If you listen to any of the exercises and feel like sharing some of what comes for you, then please do so! Questions, discoveries, and insights are all welcome. You can click here to email me or you can email me directly, lauren@metamindsnyc.com. If you'd like to be notified when more exercises are posted, then you can do so by signing up here.