Before We Begin

Find a quiet space where you can be alone with your breath, your body, and your mind.

Sit comfortably, either cross-legged on the floor or in a chair with your feet planted firmly on the ground. Allow your hands to rest on your knees, palms facing upward in openness.

Close your eyes.

Take a deep breath in through your nose… filling your belly, expanding your ribs, feeling your chest rise.

And exhale slowly through the mouth… releasing tension, releasing worry, releasing any weight you have carried into this moment.

Again, inhale deeply, drawing in stillness, clarity, and ease.

Exhale fully, letting go of everything you no longer wish to hold.

Let your shoulders drop. Let your jaw unclench. Let your entire body soften.

Feel yourself becoming weightless.

With each breath, feel your mind becoming still, your awareness expanding, your body melting into the safety of the present moment.

This is where you begin.

This is where you uncover the root of stress.

Where Did You First Learn That Stress Means Danger?

Stress is not the enemy.

It is the body’s way of speaking, of responding, of alerting you to something it believes is important.

But what if your body has been responding to something that is no longer real?

What if stress is not the threat, but a learned belief that needs to be re-examined?

Breathe deeply.

Now, I invite you to ask yourself:

"Where did I first learn that stress means danger?"

Let your mind drift back. Let it take you to the earliest memory of stress.

Maybe you were a child, sensing the weight of your parents’ worry.

Maybe you were in school, feeling the pressure to be perfect.

Maybe it was a moment of fear, of uncertainty, of not knowing how to meet life’s demands.

See yourself there. See the version of you that first absorbed this belief.

Observe them with love. With compassion. With deep understanding.

This was the moment your mind first labeled stress as a threat.

But now, as the observer, you see something different.

You see that this version of you did not yet know what you know now.

That they took in the fear of the world without questioning if it was their own.

That they were doing their best to make sense of life.

Breathe.

Releasing the Old Story

Now, gently approach this version of yourself.

Look into their eyes.

Tell them, with love:

"You are safe."
"You no longer need to carry this belief."
"Stress is not danger. It is only energy. It is only a message."

Take their hands in yours.

And with your next exhale, imagine them releasing this belief like a bird set free from its cage.

Watch it disappear into the sky, dissolving, no longer attached to you.

As you breathe, feel the shift within you.

Feel the new space that has opened in your mind and body.

A space where stress is no longer fear.

A space where stress is no longer your enemy.

A space where you are free to rewrite the meaning of life’s challenges.

Rewriting Your Truth

Now, take a deep breath in.

And as you exhale, ask yourself, What new relationship do I want to have with stress?

Perhaps you see it as energy that moves you forward.

Perhaps you see it as a signal to slow down, to listen, to adjust.

Perhaps you no longer see it as something to fight, but as something to work with.

Breathe in this new truth. Let it settle within you.

Breathe out anything that no longer belongs to you.

Stress is not a chain around your mind.

It is not something to run from.

It is only a wave that moves through you, waiting to be understood.

And now, you understand.

You are free.

Returning to the Present with a New Perspective

Slowly, bring awareness back to your body.

Wiggle your fingers. Wiggle your toes.

Take a deep inhale and sigh it out, grounding yourself in this new awareness.

When you are ready, gently open your eyes.

Pause. Notice how you feel.

Lighter. More open. More empowered.

Carry this truth with you today.

If stress arises, do not fear it.

Instead, ask yourself, What is this energy trying to tell me?

You are no longer ruled by the old belief.

You are free to respond rather than react.

Before you leave this space, ask yourself:

"What is one way I can change my response to stress starting today?"

Reflect. Journal if you feel called to.

And remember.

You are not a victim of stress.

You are the one who decides what it means.

Until we meet again.