3 Guided Meditations For Dealing With Pre-Election Anxiety

Here, reiki master Serena Poon offers a brief visualization, a breathwork technique, and affirmations, that all come together for a quick grounding practice that can help get you out of an anxious funk. The visualization involves first physically moving locations, to help bring you into a literal new space, before visualizing something soothing, comforting, or protective.

“I like to imagine I’m enveloped in a bubble or aura of bright white light from Source,” Poon tells mbg. Then, you’ll do some rounds of box breathing, a simple breathwork where you inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, and hold again for four breaths. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system.

“Now, you are in a state of calm, peace, and open to receive,” Poon says, and you can recite some affirmations or declarations. “I like to use declarations modified from our five reiki principles,” she adds. “For example, ‘Just for today, I release thoughts of worry,’ and ‘Just for today, I choose to be gentle with all beings, including myself.”