Since the free app that I recommended for my Afterglow Support Group curriculum guided meditations, “Stop, Breathe & Think,” went out of business, I want to offer some alternatives for you to use instead. Feel free to print and read them aloud in your group.
“Find a comfortable, upright posture—whether seated in a chair with your feet flat on the floor or lying down. Let your hands rest easily. Take a slow, intentional breath in, and gently let it go. Checking in with yourself: How are you arriving right now? Notice whatever physical sensations, energy levels, or emotions are present, without trying to change them immediately.
“Shift your awareness to the truth that everything around us is constantly moving and shifting. Seasons are everchanging, our babies are growing right before our eyes, bodies heal and recover, relationships evolve, and feelings come and go.
“Notice if any part of you resists change, or if you feel a sense of anxiety. Instead of fighting that feeling, name it gently to yourself: ‘There is a sense of uncertainty here,’ or ‘The feeling of resistance is showing up.’ Allow it space to exist.
“When thoughts about what is changing or what comes next start to bring anxiety with them, gently guide your focus away from the story and back to your physical anchor: the breath. Feel the sensation of the air moving in through your nose, filling your chest or belly, and flowing back out. Use the breath as a steady anchor. Even when things outside of our control are shifting, our breath is always available to give us a moment to pause, for spaciousness to find clarity before reacting.
“As you sit with your breath, bring a gentle curiosity to how you meet transitions. Can you lean into a sense of openness to new experiences? To a sense of empowerment from past experiences of overcoming? To a sense of self-compassion for learning as a parent, which isn’t easy. Remind yourself that you don’t need to have all the answers for what comes next right this second. You only need to meet this exact breath, in this exact moment, and take things one breath at a time. Connect with any feelings of self-compassion you can find, and allow the intentions here to follow you into the rest of your day.
“When you feel ready, take one more deep, grounding breath, letting your shoulders drop away from your ears. Gently open your eyes or soften your gaze, carrying this sense of steadiness and presence back into your day.
