One of the most difficult things about having PTSD is that our fearful “what ifs” separate us from “what is.” This meditation uses the breath as a way to create and keep returning to moments of ease and calm. Right away, they help us relax and go on. Eventually they become a way of being.
You can record this for yourself or read it aloud. Either way, it’s best to do in a private, quiet space.
The past has gone and the future is yet to come.
I see myself as peaceful, happy, and free in this moment.
I’m aware of each breath as my abdomen rises and falls.
I enjoy being here in this moment.
I no longer run into the future or dwell in the past.
Although my mind is a steady stream of thoughts,
I let each thought come and go as I follow my breath.
I’m comfortable and at ease.
Breath by breath, I let go of tension in my body and mind.
I feel the air moving around my face as I breathe in and out.
With each breath, I relax the muscles in my face and I smile.
As sounds come I notice them and let them go.
I continue to enjoy the peaceful rhythm of my breathing.
A river of feelings and thoughts flows through me,
but they don’t overwhelm me.
My breath is like the anchor that
helps me connect to each moment.
With every breath I arrive again and again right here, right now.
My body is upright and balanced as I breathe calmly and comfortably.
My mind is peaceful and my body is free of tension.
I am calm and rested.
I feel free.
I feel at home.