Hi,
I'm Frankie,
And welcome to Restorative Breathwork.
This meditation is part of the Nervous System Regulation Series,
And it is designed to restore balance through gentle,
Non-activating breathwork,
Using slow rhythm,
Extended exhales,
And natural pauses.
This practice supports the nervous system in settling deeper without effort,
Intensity,
Or emotional push.
So find yourself a position where your body can feel supported,
Lying down or seated,
With the spine free and the breath unforced,
Closing your eyes now,
Or lowering your gaze.
Before we shape the breath in any way,
Take a moment just to notice the breath you arrived with.
The breath that has been breathing you all along,
No correction needed,
Just noticing.
Your body has been breathing you your whole life.
Take a slow inhale through the nose,
And a gentle exhale through the mouth.
Again,
Breathing in through the nose,
And letting go through the mouth.
This is not energizing breathwork,
Or breathwork to release with.
There is nothing to release today,
Nothing to push,
Nothing to activate.
This is restorative,
A way of telling your nervous system that it does not need to stay alert.
Just allow the inhale to be comfortable and natural,
And allow the exhale to be just a bit longer.
Not forced,
Not strained,
Just longer.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
The exhale is where the nervous system listens most closely.
Each long exhale sends a quiet message inward.
It says,
You can soften now.
Allow the shoulders to respond,
The jaw softening,
The belly.
Nothing needs to happen all at once.
Now let's change the breath slightly,
Breathing in through the nose,
And out through gently parted lips.
That's right,
In through the nose,
And out through gently parted lips.
Imagine you're slowly fogging a mirror,
Breathing out warmth,
Breathing out releasing effort,
Just to slow in,
And out,
Noticing how the body responds.
When the breath becomes predictable,
Rhythm creates safety.
Let the breath find its own steady pace.
Not too slow for the sake of slowing,
But smooth,
Even,
Reliable.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
If thoughts arise,
You don't need to engage with them.
They can drift alongside the rhythm of the breath,
Like leaves floating on water.
The nervous system does not need silence to regulate.
It needs consistency.
Now gently introduce a pause at the end of each exhale.
Just a soft pause.
One,
Two,
Not holding,
Just resting.
Allow the inhale to arrive naturally again.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
Short pause.
These pauses are important,
Because they teach the body that nothing bad is happening.
That stillness is safe.
Continue this way,
Inhaling,
Exhaling.
Short pause.
If the pause ever feels uncomfortable,
Let it go.
Let the practice adapt to you.
There is no right length for the inhale.
No right length for the exhale.
The pause is just a pause.
Your body knows how to breathe these relaxing breaths.
Now bring your awareness to your belly.
Notice the gentle rise on the inhale,
And the falls on the exhale.
Let the belly be soft.
This tells the nervous system it does not need to brace.
Silently,
Inwardly,
Say,
I do not need to hold myself together.
That's right,
You do not need to hold yourself together.
Let that be felt in the body.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
You may notice that the breath begins to deepen on its own.
Or slow.
Or become more smooth on the out.
Allow it.
The nervous system recalibrates whenever it is given permission.
It does not need instructions.
Now imagine the breath moving like waves.
Rising gently.
Falling gently.
The quiet pause between the waves.
Nothing crashes.
Nothing rushes.
Just steady movement.
Rest here.
Keep breathing these breaths.
No counting required.
No focus to maintain.
And if your awareness wanders.
With the next exhale,
Come back.
Silently say inwards.
My breath knows how to restore balance.
That's right.
Your breath knows how to restore balance.
Let that settle into your thinking mind.
Notice how the body feels now.
Compared to when you began.
Perhaps more spacious.
Perhaps heavier.
Perhaps calmer.
All subtle shifts count.
Before we close.
Allow the breath to return to a completely natural rhythm.
No shaping.
No moving.
No pausing.
Just breathing.
Feel the support beneath you.
The steadiness of your body.
When you're ready.
Bring your awareness back into the room.
Small movements in the fingers and toes.
Letting the eyes open softly.
Carry this sense of restored rhythm with you.
Knowing this kind of breath is always available.
When your nervous system needs support.
Blessings on your journey.
Namaste.
