00:30

The First Breath

by Jo Riley

Type
guided
Activity
Meditation
Suitable for
Everyone
Plays
1

This meditation is an invitation to return to the moment of arrival, the first opening into being here. Guided gently into stillness, you are invited to rest in presence as the body softens and the mind becomes quiet. There is nothing to do and nothing to follow, only space to settle and receive. This practice supports deep rest, calms the nervous system, and invites a remembering of the simplicity of being. Best experienced lying down, allowing yourself to fully relax into stillness.

MeditationRelaxationBody ScanIntentionBreathingVisualizationRebirthSelf AcceptanceGroundingSelf CompassionIntention SettingCleansing BreathBirth VisualizationFirst Breath ExperienceRebirth ThemeGrounding Technique

Transcript

Welcome,

Beautiful soul.

Find a comfortable position,

Either lying down or seated.

Allow your body to arrive in the space now.

Let yourself melt into the surface beneath you and feel the earth holding you,

Knowing you are always safe.

Now I invite you to close your eyes gently and allow the world around you to become quiet.

Take a moment to let your body begin to relax.

Consciously release any tension from the jaw.

Soften your shoulders,

Let your belly loosen and allow any part of your body that is holding onto tension to soften now.

Take a moment now to set an intention for this journey.

Trust what rises and hold it softly in your heart.

Let's begin by taking three cleansing breaths together.

Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth with a soft sigh,

Letting your body settle deeper.

Again,

Inhale,

Feel your belly expand and exhale fully.

Slowly feel your belly soften,

Letting your whole body melt deeper.

One more time,

Inhale slowly into the belly,

Feel it rise and a long exhale.

Let your breath become steady,

Soft and natural.

As your breath settles into its natural rhythm,

Something inside of you shifts again,

A subtle pull forward as if the world you once knew is gently guiding you towards the moment where life first opened,

The liminal space dissolves and you approach the threshold where becoming turns into being.

The world around you tightens,

Not in fear,

But in purpose.

The warm chamber that has held you,

Fed you,

Protected you,

Begins to move as though it knows your time has come.

The light at the edges of the womb brightens,

Pulsing in slow waves,

Like a sunrise gathering behind thick clouds.

You feel the chamber shift,

Soft walls pressing and releasing,

Not to push you away,

But to guide you forward,

Towards the place where breath will find you.

The golden fluid around you thickens and a new rhythm begins,

A rhythm not of the womb but of the world waiting beyond it.

You drift through the passage,

Carried by contractions that feel ancient and wise,

As though the entire universe is gently delivering you back into your own destiny.

The passage narrows,

Pulling you,

Drawing you,

As if a thread of light is wound around your body,

Guiding you towards the moment your soul meets air.

Before you reach the threshold,

Time begins to stretch,

Not forward,

Not backward,

But outward.

There is no urgency here,

No rushing,

Only a deep intelligence that knows exactly how long this moment needs to last.

Your body moves when it's ready,

Your soul moves when it's ready,

Everything happens in perfect timing.

You sense the presence of something vast around you,

Not watching,

Not judging,

But witnessing,

As though life itself is standing by,

Honouring the moment you choose to arrive.

And then,

You reach the threshold,

A thin membrane separates you from the vast unknown.

You pause there,

Held between two realms,

The last moment you will ever exist in pure innocence.

Everything is quiet,

Everything is slow,

Everything holds its breath,

Waiting for you.

In this pause,

There is no fear,

Only possibility.

This is the last moment you existed without story,

Without memory,

Without expectation.

Nothing has been asked of you yet,

Nothing has been required.

You are simply here,

Complete,

As you are held at the edge of becoming.

The membrane breaks and for the first time,

Light touches you.

It wraps around your body,

Your face,

Your tiny forming lungs,

Like a warm fire,

Like destiny,

Like welcome.

The world expands around you,

No longer curved and fluid,

But wide and breath filled.

And then it happens,

Your body arches,

Your chest opens and a pull rises inside of you,

Instinctively,

Deep,

Entirely yours.

The first breath,

It rushes in,

Not as air,

But as awakening.

A spark,

A surge,

A claiming.

Your lungs bloom,

Soft tissue opening like petals receiving the sun for the very first time.

Your heart responds instantly,

Beating faster,

Stronger.

As though recognizing that life has just chosen you.

The breath moves deeper,

Stirring your ribs,

Your spine,

Your tiny expanding diaphragm,

Unfolding you into the world.

The breath continues to explore you,

Teaching your body how to receive,

How to open,

How to trust.

With each gentle rise and fall,

Your nervous system learns the rhythm of being alive.

Not through effort,

But through instinct.

This rhythm will stay with you long after this moment,

Long after memory fades.

And in that moment,

You are no longer becoming.

You are.

The breath does not simply enter you,

It completes you.

It announces you.

It crowns you in existence.

Not as a body,

But as a soul.

That has arrived here fully.

The world greets you with warmth,

With movement,

With sound.

None of it frightening.

All of it new.

All of it an invitation.

Through the bright light you feel presence.

Hands,

Voices,

Warmth.

Not shaping you,

But receiving you.

You are held.

You are welcomed.

You are recognised by life itself.

Your chest rises again,

This time on its own.

The breath returning not as instinct,

But as belonging.

A rhythm that is now yours to carry.

To shape.

To fill with meaning.

The breath threads itself through you,

Settling into bone,

Into cells,

Into memory.

The original imprint of your right to exist.

You take another breath.

Stronger.

Clearer.

As if your soul has found its anchor and your body knows exactly what to do.

And in this moment you are reborn.

Not into the stories you inherited.

Not into expectation,

But into truth.

Into freedom.

Into possibility.

Into yourself.

You sense that this breath has written something into you.

Not as words,

But as knowing.

A knowing that says I belong here.

I am allowed to take up space.

Life wants me.

The breath continues.

Steady.

Soft.

Natural.

You are remembering your new beginning.

And the world opens before you.

Waiting for the version of you who knows you were always meant to be here.

Take a deep,

Beautiful breath into your belly.

Feel your belly expand.

And a soft,

Gentle exhale.

Feel your belly soften.

When you are ready,

You can slowly begin to bring your awareness back into your body.

Invite some slow movement into your fingers and your toes.

Gently move your neck side to side.

If it feels good,

Draw your knees in towards your chest.

And give yourself a soft,

Beautiful hug.

Or you can reach your arms overhead and take a gentle stretch,

Allowing your whole body to open.

Take one final deep breath in.

Hold it for a moment.

And a slow,

Long exhale,

Letting your whole system settle.

Carry this feeling with you for the rest of your day.

And remember you are loved unconditionally.

You are worthy.

You are beautiful.

Thank you for going on this journey with me.

I see you.

I feel you.

I hear you.

It is a blessing to share this space with you.

With love and gratitude always.

Meet your Teacher

Jo RileyUnited Kingdom

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© 2026 Jo Riley. All rights reserved. All copyright in this work remains with the original creator. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

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