I’m someone who manages a great deal of anxiety on any given day. This is my go-to tool for managing my inner drama so I can get back to enjoying life. Anyone can do this, no experience necessary. You don’t have to be a “meditator” or like doing it. It’s simple, short, and it works!

When we have stress or anxiety or fear, our body goes into fight or flight response. Our breath gets shorter, or chest tightens our muscles contract and we brace for battle. But, life’s better when you don’t feel like you have to fight against it.

This Awesome Meditation Will Dial Your Stress Down

This quick meditation practice will help soothe your stress away by calming chaotic energy and focusing wayward thoughts. The breath work that’s included creates calming energy in your body and focusing your attention on your breath forces you to break free from a negative thought pattern.

It’s the ultimate super-fast mind clearing and energy healing practice. Give it a try!

Here’s how you do it:

Begin by sitting tall, comfortably crossed leg if possible, with your eyes closed. Make the “okay” sign with both hands (index finger and thumb touching, other three fingers extended) then place your hands in the “okay” sign palms down on your knees.  (This hand position is called a “mudra” and its effects are grounding when done this way.)

Hold your attention on your breath. You’re going to begin to lengthen each breath, soft and slow, to a count of four. So you’ll breathe in all the way from one to four without holding your breath, then out in the same way. Exhaling entirely through the four counts without holding. Repeat this 3 times.

Then continue breathing in for four counts, but lengthen of your exhale only to 6 counts. Being sure not to hold your breath at any time. Do this for 3 rounds.

Then continue to breathe in for four counts, but lengthen of an exhale only to 8 counts. Making sure you don’t hold your breath at any time. Repeat this for the final three rounds.

Then breath in deeply and slowly taking in as much air as possible, hold an inhale for as long as possible, and when you need to exhale do so as slowly as possible for as long as possible.

Allow your breathing to continue naturally without forcing it or counting your breath. Continue to sit tall with your eyes closed and allow your mind to soften and your body to become still. Allow yourself to relax so deeply that movement simply isn’t necessary. Sit for 1-3 minutes in this stillness.

As you sit in stillness “watch” the energy building up around you and encompass you fully. When you are finished, before you open your eyes bring your palms together at your heart center and bend forward so your forehead moves towards your feet as if bowing, touching forehead to toes if possible (not necessary). This creates an “energetic seal” around all of the good vibes you just built up during the meditation and keeps them with you throughout the day so you continue to feel at peace in a crazy world.

Then, sit back up, open your eyes slowly, and take those god vibes with you out into the world and do good things.

Here’s One Extra Tip For When You Don’t Have Time to Do the Whole Meditation Practice

You can use the breath work portion, called pranayama, anytime. So if you’re driving through a traffic jam and starting to stress, or having a bad day at work and can’t sit in stillness, just start to slow your exhale, long, slow, and soft so that it’s longer than your inhale.

It’s time for you to stress less and live more. So, give it a try!