Soften & Relax - Belly Breathing

Soften and relax.

Today we're going to focus our meditation using a soft and gentle belly breathing practice.

You may ask what is belly breathing?

It is actually a very simple but powerful breathing technique that is sometimes also referred to as yogic breathing.

Belly breathing is a short,

Rejuvenating practice that can lower your stress levels by calming the nervous system and helping you stay present.

The big question is do you really breathe into your belly?

No you don't.

It turns out we only breathe into our lungs.

Although you're not actually breathing into your belly,

Your belly does move in and out due to the movement of the diaphragm,

The muscle that separates your lungs and heart and where your digestive and reproductive organs are.

This type of breath is also sometimes referred to as diaphragmatic breathing.

The technique is actually very simple.

I invite you now to bring one hand above your belly button and one hand at your heart.

Now take a few deep full breaths,

Allowing your hands to move out and up slightly with the inhale and move back in with the exhale.

Your belly should expand as you take in air,

Allowing oxygen to reach the bottom of your lungs.

As you exhale,

Your stomach and rib cage will contract.

This activates your diaphragm muscle to make sure you are getting the optimal amount of air.

There are so many benefits to this beautiful,

Soft and gentle practice of belly breathing.

It helps our respiratory system to work efficiently.

It also stimulates the relaxation response in our bodies,

Turning on the parasympathetic nervous system.

This also turns off the overactive sympathetic nervous system,

Which is also known as the fight-flight response or the stress response zone.

Deep breaths are an effective way to make this happen.

By developing the capacity to choose the relaxation response over the stress response more often,

We can calm ourselves and lower the risk of any stress-related conditions.

So the relaxation response actually increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the cells throughout the body.

It helps increase the blood supply and nutrients to our muscles and bones.

It relaxes muscle spasms and relieves tension.

And one of the best things about belly breathing is that it encourages full oxygen exchange,

And that is the beneficial trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide.

Let's do a soft and gentle belly breathing practice together now,

Shall we?

Let's begin.

In your own way,

Start by taking a moment to relax your body.

See if you can soften any unnecessary tension in your belly and shoulders,

And find a posture that feels both relaxed and alert.

You can remain seated or find a comfortable position to lie down in.

I'll give you a few moments to get settled.

Now,

Close your eyes or lower your gaze and rest your hands on your belly.

Maybe one hand on your belly and one on your heart,

If that is comfortable for you.

Or two hands on your belly.

Whatever works best for you and feels natural and comfortable.

Making sure that you are comfortable is the most important thing.

Take a few moments now to scan your awareness through your entire body,

Scanning through the sensations of your body,

Noticing if there are any subtle sensations present.

I love to scan my hands as there are usually some very subtle tingling sensations in my hands.

And wherever possible,

Try to soften and release any areas of physical tension.

Relax and slow down and soften your breathing.

Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.

This may feel a little strange.

It may be quite unfamiliar,

But when we do it in a soft and gentle manner,

It can be a very relaxing way to breathe.

In through your nose and out through your mouth.

Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Now let your belly be soft.

Let it be jelly-like.

If the belly is soft,

More oxygen goes to the bottom of the lungs.

This way,

There is a better oxygen exchange.

Oxygen moves more easily into the blood and it goes to all the cells in the body,

Including the cells in the brain,

Supplying your brain with the nourishment it needs.

If the belly is soft,

It helps to activate the vagus nerve.

Vagus actually means wandering.

And this amazing wandering nerve travels up through the belly and chest,

Back to the central nervous system,

Into the brain and it promotes relaxation.

Maybe you can visualize the path of this amazing nerve through your belly and chest,

Into your nervous system and into your brain.

So gentle,

Calming and relaxing.

Soft and gentle belly breathing.

Breathing deeply.

Activating the vagus nerve helps us relax.

When the belly is soft and you breathe deeply,

All the other muscles in your body begin to relax as well.

Maybe you can start to feel that wave of relaxation now.

Imagine all of your organs,

Muscles,

Bones,

Tendons and ligaments relaxing.

Feeling gratitude throughout the body for this beautiful feeling of relaxation and pure calm.

Let's continue on with our practice.

Let's go a little deeper into it now.

Remember to make sure once again that you're completely comfortable.

Now,

Take a deep breath through the nose and hold it for a brief moment and then breathe out through the mouth.

Let it all go and completely relax again.

Listen carefully to my instructions and follow them as best you can.

With your hands on your belly,

I'd like you to breathe in for a count of five,

Then hold your breath for a count of five and breathe out slowly for a count of five.

Okay,

Here we go.

Breathing in one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

Holding for five,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five and relaxing out for five,

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One and let's try that a few more times.

Breathe in for a count of five and hold your breath for a count of five and breathe out slowly for a count of five.

Here we go.

Breathing in one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

Holding one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five and relaxing out for five,

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Well done.

Now just two more times.

Gently,

Softly,

Nice and slowly.

Breathing in for five,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

Holding one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five and relaxing out five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Last time.

Breathing in one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

Holding one,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

Relaxing out five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

Great job.

Well done.

Resting now in stillness for a few moments.

Continuing to breathe into your belly.

Notice how the belly rises and falls all by itself.

Some people like thinking of the word soft as they breathe in and belly as they breathe out.

See what that feels like for you.

Think of the word soft as you breathe in and belly as you breathe out.

If other thoughts come,

Simply let them go and gently bring your mind back to soft on the inhale and belly on the exhale.

Soft as you breathe in and belly as you breathe out.

Soft as you breathe in and belly as you breathe out.

Now,

As we come to the end of our soft and gentle belly breathing practice for today,

Slowly open your eyes and bring your attention back into the room and notice how you feel.

Notice what's changed from before you began to do this soft and gentle belly breathing practice.

Hopefully you may feel a little bit calmer.

Your heart rate may feel like it's a little bit slower.

You may be seeing the room around you with a little more clarity.

Maybe your shoulders are more relaxed.

See if you can carry this same quality of relaxation in the core of your body and being with you throughout the rest of your day and know that you can do this simple practice anytime that you feel a little stressed.