In today’s,” Yoga Snack,” listeners can reflect on their feelings after a meditation session, highlighting the importance of self-care. 

"Take a moment, check in with yourself, noticing how you feel. Knowing you can come back to this space when you need to, to take care of you so that you have the bandwidth to better care for clients and others you love." -Chris McDonald

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Chris McDonald: Do you struggle to find time for self care? You're not alone. It's time to pause and reconnect with yourself. In this special once a month episode called Yoga Snacks, we're focusing on you. Join me for a guided meditation designed to help you slow down today, center yourself, and focus inward. Whether you need to just relax, release stress, Or simply create space for self care.

This practice will guide you towards the balance and restoration that you deserve. Take a moment for yourself. You've earned it. On today's episode of Yoga in the Therapy Room podcast. Stay tuned. Welcome

to Yoga in the Therapy Room, the nontraditional therapist's guide to integrating yoga into your therapy practice. I'm Chris McDonald, licensed therapist and registered yoga teacher. This podcast is here to empower therapists like you. Like you with the knowledge and confidence to bring yoga into their practice safely and epically.

So whether you're here to expand your skills, enhance your self care, or both, you are in the right place. Join me on this journey to help you be one step closer to bringing Yoga into your therapy room.

Welcome to the Yoga In the Therapy Room podcast. The Non-traditional therapist guide to Integrating Yoga into your therapy practice. Today will be a shorter episode. Since starting this podcast I've been trying to figure out the best way to get everything out to you and I wanted to create a series, a once a month episode called Yoga Snacks.

So think of these as samplers of yoga practices that I'm going to bring to you today. This can be for your own self care, Or maybe give you ideas of things to share with clients. So these could be meditations, breathwork practices, somatic releases, vagus nerve stimulators, or an asana. Simple one, because of course this is just audio for now.

So it's very hard to get all the cues in for just audio. It's possible, but I'll do my best here. So again, these will be once a month to practice for you to experience it. So it could really be helpful to listen inside or outside where you won't be disturbed. So I highly encourage you not to be doing something else like walking or, you know, doing the dishes.

Something, this could be your time to give to you, to give back to yourself. My goal is to create these for under 15 minutes. That's my goal. So I know therapists don't have a lot of time, so I want to make this accessible and easy for you to get to. So if you're driving, pause this episode or go to another one, and take the time to listen when you are home and can be fully present.

Without further ado, let's get to the yoga snack of the month. Find your seated position, it could be on the floor in a cushion or in a chair, feet on the floor. Noticing your spine reaching up towards the ceiling. If it feels good to roll the shoulders up and back, getting a little movement in and then releasing that.

If you need to shift, do that now to get a little more comfortable. Close your eyes or gently look at the floor in front of you with soft eyes. We'll start by taking a few deep breaths. Take an inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, letting it out. Inhale through the nose and exhale, letting go of any tension or stress.

with your exhale, allowing your breath back to its natural rhythm, allowing it to flow in and out effortlessly. Feel the air as it enters your body, nourishing you, and notice that as it leaves, clearing away anything that no longer serves you. As you settle into this space, I want you to imagine for a moment that you're walking in a field, and you see in front of you a great mountain.

This mountain is tall, majestic, unshakable. It stands there, and in your mind, you are in a sense of awe and wonder. You see its strong base, rooted deeply into the earth, and you notice how it rises up high into the sky, its peak reaching towards the heavens, seeing the clouds above on top of the mountain, and you stand there in mountain pose yourself, hands forward, feet planted on the earth, and in your mind's eye, you You visualize yourself becoming this mountain.

You feel your body rooted into the earth beneath you. Feeling solid, grounded, connected. Feel and sense the connection to the ground beneath your feet. Just as the mountain is connected to the earth. Immovable. Stable. Unshakeable. Now bring your attention to your spine. Like the peak of the mountain, your spine rises tall and strong, holding you up, securing you.

Feel the crown of your head lifting towards the sky. Your posture is steady and regal. And your arms Are the slopes of the mountain pointing down towards the earth, feeling the solidness, the rootedness of being this mountain. Picture what kind of mountain you want to be. Maybe a rocky one, maybe one with a lot of trees, or a snow covered one, or maybe all of the above, you decide.

What kind of mountain do you want to be? Notice the weather that may surround your mountain. Perhaps there's rain, wind, snow, or you're noticing the sun shining, clouds drifting by, and noticing the impermanence of the weather. So in the fall, the leaves come off the trees, maybe, breezes blowing, gentle rains coming down.

Maybe some storms blowing through, but always coming back to stillness. And then in the winter, cold storms, cold winds, maybe deep snow on your mountain. And spring comes, and the snow melts, and the world is alive again. And the flowers begin to bloom, the trees fill up, plants continue to grow. The birds come back, singing their song, such happiness and joy in the new beginning.

This eases into summer, hot sun beating down near a mountain, feeling the warmth of the sun, drying out the spring rains. And then it starts again into the fall, and noticing, whatever the weather, the mountains remain. Unmoved. It does not react to storms, nor does it cling to the sunshine. It simply exists.

Steadfast and calm through all these changes. As you continue to stay here as a mountain, embodying it, reflect on your own life. There may be storms, moments of challenge, stress, uncertainty. There may be sunshine, times of joy, peace and ease. But like the mountain, you remain steady, grounded in your inner strength.

No matter what surrounds you, you have that center of calm, that center of peace within you. This is always accessible to you, so that no matter the chaos surrounding the outside of you, you. can always retreat to the calm. You can always remain steady, feeling solid and grounded.

Breathe in to this feeling of strength and stability, allowing it to fill your body and your mind. Feel it from your feet, lifting up through your legs, strong to your core, down the slopes of your mountain, down your arms and hands, up your neck, into your head. Filled completely. Feel it in your mind as well.

The solidness. Stability.

Take a few more breaths at your own pace here. Deeper breaths. Longer exhales.

Feel the unshakable mountain within you.

Feel your connection to the earth. Your body strong and grounded. Your mind clear and calm.

And when you're ready, Slowly begin to bring your awareness back to the room you're in in the present moment. Feel the ground beneath you, supporting you, holding you up, knowing that Earth always is there for you, supporting you. Feel the air on your skin. Is it warm or cool, or is it more neutral? Feel your clothes on your skin.

Do they feel light? Itchy? or soft. Noticing sounds in the room, sounds outside of the room.

Gently wiggle your fingers, maybe your toes, giving a soft sense of movement to wake yourself up, to bring you back to your space. Connecting with your physical body, and when it feels right, softly blinking your eyes open, take a look around your room. Reorient yourself, noticing colors. How many colors do you see?

Name them. What shapes do you see? Circles, squares. Notice any resource in the room, favorite pictures, objects. Take that breath in again, breathing in, and breathing out, letting go. Carry this visual with you the rest of the day, the strength, the stillness of the mountain as you move forward in your day and challenge yourself when things feel overwhelming.

Can you connect back to that inner calm, that center that is always there for you? And take a moment, check in with yourself, noticing how you feel after this meditation and knowing you can come back to here in this space when you need to, to take care of you so that you have the bandwidth to better care for clients and others you love.

And that brings us to To the end of the first yoga snack for Yoga in the Therapy Room podcast. I hope this was helpful for you. And just take a moment for yourself before you jump right back into the activities of the day. That's my challenge to you. To ease your way in, instead of always rushing. To bringing that calmness, that calm energy.

But I want to thank you for tuning into this today, being a part of this meditation. And I have a couple questions for you. Are you ready to take the next step to learn more about trauma informed yoga and how to integrate yoga safely and ethically into sessions like this meditation? Ready to build your confidence in integrating these practices?

Plus, as an added bonus, you get two 30 minute consultation sessions with me. So come join the interest list. And be the first to hear when the doors open for this course, go to hcpodcast. org forward slash yoga course interest. That's hcpodcast. org forward slash yoga course interest. And once again, this is Chris McDonald sending each one of you much light and love.

Until next time, take care. Thanks for listening to today's episode. The information in this podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is given with the understanding that neither the host, the publisher, or the guests are giving legal, medical, psychological, or any other kind of professional advice.

We are not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. Yoga is not recommended for everyone and is not safe under certain medical conditions. Always check with your Transcripts provided by Transcription Outsourcing, LLC.