BBLLISS Meditation

Find yourself in fear a lot these days? This is a five minute meditation created by my colleague in Professional Thinking Partners Dawna Markova. It strengthens the creative, problem solving part of our brain, the neocortex’s, ability to intervene during times when the amygdala (the primitive brain) is kicking into survival mode. It helps you get off the train of overwhelming, fearful thoughts and experience what’s going on for you in a different way—at the level of sensation and breath rather than story. But it only works if you do it!

You can do it anytime you notice your fear or anger. But because it actually increases the neocortex’s ability to be in charge, it’s even better if you also do it four set times a day--in connection with meals and/or waking and going to sleep. You can even set an alarm on your Blackberry as a reminder. The more regularly you do it, the less you’ll experience panic, day or night.

B-BODY

Bring your awareness into your body and do a body scan from your feet up to your head. Use your attention as a “flashlight” to scan your body and notice, without judgment or commentary, your feelings and sensations. For instance, “My feet are heavy, my chest is tight, my head feels like it’s being gripped in a vise, etc.”

B-BREATH

Take 3 full rounds of breath. Each round should include a full inhale, noticing the space between the inhale and exhale, a full exhale, letting go of what is old, and noticing the space at the end of the exhale. Hang out in the space at the end of the exhale like hanging out in a hammock. Notice how the inhale comes back all by itself.

L-LISTEN OUT

Listen to and notice the sounds around you. Let your hearing become receptive as if you are breathing in and out of your ears.

L-LISTEN IN

We are always telling ourselves stories about our situation. That’s one of the things our brains are designed to do—to take information in and then make meaning out of it. Listen to the stories you are telling yourself in the moment. Simply notice them, without judgment.

I-ACKNOWLEDGE THE “I” STORIES

Acknowledge the stories you are telling yourself. “I hear that I am telling myself” (fill in your own story in the moment). For instance, “Oh, I am telling myself that I will never be a mother.” Or that, “I will always be alone.”

S-SENSATIONS

Again, without judgment, notice the sensations that happen in your body as a result of those stories. For instance, “My breathing gets more shallow, my throat gets tight.”

S-SENSE

Sense the life force pulsating through you and recognize that you are alive. Name something you are grateful for.