Mindful Meditation

A. First, take note of the moods you’ve experienced.

bored, anxious, stressed.

B. Assess your overall level of anxiety on a scale of 1 to 10.

Due to a built up exhausting and stressful week at school and work, my anxiety level would be at least an 8.

C. Assess the level of physical tension in your body- where do you notice the tension? Try rating your overall tension on a scale of 1 to 10.

The overwhelming workload has made me sleep deprived; therefore, I feel a lot of the tension in my neck and shoulder area. Tension: 7/10

III. After you have finished your meditation, re-asses your state of mind and body.
A. Reassess your mood on the chart.

Relaxed, Happier, Surprised.
B. Reassess your level of anxiety from 1 to 10.

4/10
C. Reasses your level of physical tension and rate it from 1 to 10.

3/10

IV. Describe the experience– What type of meditation did you choose? Describe what was going on in your mind and your body, what kind of thoughts and sensations did you experience during the meditation? Were there any challenging or frustrating aspects of the experience, and if so, what were they? Would you try this again in the future? Why or why not?

I chose the guided meditation. Originally, I was quite hesitant whether this can truly relax the immense tension and stress built up in my body for a period of time. But I gave it a try. Tried to focus on my breathe in, breathe out; focused in the moment, and put all my troubles aside for that moment. Certainly, thoughts came up every once in a while, but I just kept going back to my oxygen intake. The hardest part is definitely to stay focused and keep calm. Overall, I am very surprised how rewarding this short meditation feels. After my body started to relax, I actually felt tingles in the tips of my fingers and toes; felt like the weight was lifted off my shoulders during that time. I’d definitely try to do this more often; either when I’m really stressed, or right before sleep, if I have some time.