Hey there, friend. Welcome back. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here with me today for another five-minute meditation. You know, we're right there in that post-holiday stretch, aren't we? That weird, wonderful time when the new year is breathing down our necks and everything feels a little bit tender. The house is still loud with echoes of everyone who was just here, or maybe there's a quiet that feels just as heavy. Either way, your nervous system might be running on fumes. So today, we're going to practice something I call the "reset and reset again" meditation. It's for those days when you need permission to let go without judgment. And friend, today might just be that day.

Let's get comfortable. Wherever you are right now, whether you're in your kitchen with a cold cup of coffee or tucked in a corner of your couch, just settle in. You don't need to sit cross-legged or light candles or do anything fancy. Just you, right here, right now.

Take a breath in through your nose, slow and purposeful. Let it come in like it's carrying something good, something gentle. Hold it for just a moment. Then release it out through your mouth like you're fogging a mirror. Again, in through the nose. Out through the mouth. And once more. Notice how that feels in your body already, that shift.

Now I want you to imagine your stress as something tangible. Maybe it's a stone in your pocket, or tension coiled in your shoulders like a rope. Whatever it looks like to you, really see it. Don't fight it. Don't push it away. Just acknowledge it with kindness, the way you'd notice a cloud passing through the sky. You don't try to stop clouds, right? You just watch them move.

With each exhale, imagine that stress softens just a little. Not disappearing completely, because that's not realistic, but loosening. Like a fist unclenching. Breathe in calm. Breathe out whatever doesn't belong to this moment. In. Out. In. Out. Keep going with me for one more minute, finding your own rhythm.

And now, slowly, gently, feel your weight settling back into the chair, the ground, whatever's holding you. You can open your eyes whenever you're ready. That stone in your pocket? A little lighter now. That's all we need for today.

Here's my challenge for you: carry this exhale with you. Whenever stress creeps in, take one intentional breath out. That's your reset button.

Thank you so much for joining me on Daily Mindfulness: 5-Minute Meditations for Stress Relief. You've just given yourself an incredible gift. Please subscribe so we can do this together again tomorrow.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI