This guided meditation is shorter than these things usually are. It’s something you can do any time you have 5 minutes, and it’s helpful when you’re going to present something, tackle a difficult conversation, or need a reminder of your own bravery and strength. It is easy to forget how far we’ve come and what we have learned when we’re staring at the journey before us, or the difficult situation we’re in—sometimes the moment we’re in feels like it is All Time! It isn’t, and this meditation might help you.

Find your Courage, Strength & Bravery:

Sit in your chair, and if necessary throw on some headphones with rain sounds, or nature sounds. Nothing musical, and only soothing brown or white noise.

Make sure your feet are flat on the floor.

Place your hands, palms together, fingers off-set in your lap (in the shape you’d make if you were using your palms to squish play dough, or clay).

Relax your shoulders, but don’t slump. Just let your bones fall gracefully from your spine—like you’re just hanging from a string through your spine, out the top of your head. Feel free to lean back in your chair, rest your head on the back. You’re taking a mental break, so soak it in.

Take a deep breath in your nose, and as you breathe out, close your eyes. Breathe in and out through your nose, calmly, don’t force it to be slow or fast, long or short. Count your heart beats, letting them consume your attention.

Counting them, 18-19-20 heart beats, if you’re relaxed, begin, if not, count again. Don’t force it, just let your body rest and pause for a moment. It’s ok, you’re allowed to rest.

When you’re ready to begin:

Think of the strongest person you know, personally. Imagine their strength is a soothing, deep blue speck of light, growing between your palms. Imagine that strength is warm, and enveloping, and you’re holding a distillation of it, right in your hands! Take a minute or so to remember why they are the strongest person, what they did, and hold on to that feeling of strength that their memory and deeds make you feel.

Imagine that ball is pushing at your palms, and squish it back down, so that your hands are touching again. Imagine that ball of strength just got concentrated, and you’re holding it carefully, but not tightly.

Now, think of the most courageous hero you’ve ever read about. This person might be a mythological person, or a real person. Doesn’t matter. That heroism and courage is a tiny lightning bug sized blink of deep purple light in your palm, right next to your blue strength. Bring to mind what they did that was courageous, what deeds they accomplished, and how they inspired others to courage, too! Imagine all that courage is distilled down to that ball in your hand.

Again, the ball is pushing your palms, but you squish it down. Now you have two balls of light in your hand. They’ll roll around each other, sitting nestled in your palm

Now, remember a time you were brave. The bravest deed you ever accomplished. That time your bravery surprised you, scared you, galvanized you! Remember why you made that decision, and how powerful that emotion of bravery felt as it helped you navigate the situation, and get through to the other side. Imagine that bravery as a deep, verdant green sparkle of energy. Imagine that green spark grows and grows as you remember what you were able to accomplish when you let your bravery lead the way. Remember how it felt to embody that bravery. Hold that feeling tightly in your mind, and imagine that energy is pushing at your hands, trying to escape!

Push that energy ball down until all three of them are about the size of a marble in your mind’s eye. One blue, one purple, and one green. Strength, Courage and Bravery.

Imagine those marbles start to mix together, forming one slightly larger one, blue, purple and green swirling together. Imagine that ball of colourful energy and good emotions pulses with the same tempo as your heartbeat.

Now, take just a couple seconds, and remember: the energies you’re imagining, that strength came from you. You did that, you imagined that strength, felt it grow, and distilled it down. You imagined that courage, and again felt it grow and distilled it down.

Strength and Courage, like the bravery you embodied were yours all this time. You had them inside you, that’s why you look up to the two people you thought of (your strength and courage persons).

You did that, beautifully and effortlessly.

Imagine that colourful marble rolls around your hands, and then sinks into your “power” or main hand (right if you’re right-handed, left if you’re a leftie!) Imagine those colourful energies opening in your body, under your skin and filling you with Courage, Strength, and Bravery!

Embrace that feeling, and rest in it for a few breaths.

Now, where are your feet? Can you feel them? Good! Let your awareness creep up your legs, across your pelvis and trunk, down your arms, and over your head.

Open your eyes when you’re ready.

You now have access to those emotions, that courage, strength, and bravery. You’re now ready to do whatever it is that scared you. To have that conversation. To give that presentation. Go For It!