Take some time to sit down or lie down.
Make yourself comfortable.
And put your dominant hand on your stomach,
Over the belly button.
Put your non-dominant hand on your chest.
And as you do so,
You can allow your eyes to close.
And we'll start following the breath.
Become aware of the flow of breath in and out.
In and down and up and out.
Notice how just by monitoring your breathing,
You're starting to slow down.
Starting to switch off.
Starting to relax.
Notice as you breathe which one of your hands is moving.
It may be the upper hand.
It may be the lower hand.
Sometimes it's both.
To promote relaxation.
And to breathe in the most natural way.
Take your breathing a little deeper down within you.
Down into the stomach.
And as you breathe in,
Expand your stomach.
Push the hand upwards.
And as you exhale,
Allow the stomach to move back down.
Allow the hand to move back down.
Don't try.
Just allow.
If you watch a young baby lying on its back,
You will notice that the baby breathes from its abdomen.
From its stomach.
This is how we are built.
It's how we are meant to breathe.
Many of us develop upper chest breathing habits.
And that's fine for normal everyday life.
But when it comes to the breath of life,
When it comes to relaxation,
Breathing down into the stomach is much more beneficial.
So spend a few moments now,
Allowing your breathing to deepen.
So that as you breathe in,
The lower hand rises.
And as you breathe out,
The lower hand falls.
Don't try.
Just allow it to happen.
And notice how as you breathe out,
It's as if you're relaxing just a little.
You can even imagine it happening to help you along.
With each exhalation,
Imagine that your body is relaxing just a little.
Deeper and deeper.
Slower and slower.
Heavier and heavier.
Good.
Now,
With a little bit of imagination,
You can breathe relaxation into every part of your body.
As you breathe in,
You become aware of that part.
And as you breathe out,
You relax that part.
So let's try that.
Breathe in,
Toes.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Feet.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Ankles.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Knees.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Thighs.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Hips.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Stomach.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Chest.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Back.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Shoulders.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Upper arms.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Elbows.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Lower arms.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Wrists.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Hands.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Fingers and thumbs.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Neck.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Mouth.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Tongue.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Cheeks.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Nose.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Eyes.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Forehead.
Breathe out,
Relax.
Breathe in,
Scalp.
Breathe out,
Relax.
And notice how relaxed you've become.
And how easy that procedure has been.
As you relax,
You become heavier.
And you can help that natural heaviness along with your breathing.
As you breathe in,
You notice the area.
As you breathe out,
You increase the heaviness.
Breathe in,
Feet and toes.
Breathe out,
Heavier.
Breathe in,
Ankles and calves.
Breathe out,
Heavier.
Breathe in,
Knees and thighs.
Breathe out,
Heavier.
Breathe in,
Hips.
Breathe out,
Heavier.
Breathe in,
Stomach.
Breathe out,
Heavier.
Breathe in,
Chest.
Breathe out,
Heavier.
Breathe in,
Back.
Breathe out,
Heavier.
Breathe in,
Shoulders.
Breathe out,
Heavier.
Breathe in,
Upper arms and elbows.
Breathe out,
Heavier.
Breathe in,
Lower arms and wrists.
Breathe out,
Heavier.
Breathe in,
Hands and fingers and thumbs.
Breathe out,
Heavier.
Breathe in,
Muscles of the face.
Breathe out,
Heavier.
And notice how relaxed you become.
How easy the procedure has been.
Isn't it wonderful that you can follow your breathing?
Increase heaviness.
Increase relaxation.
Good.
If your mind wanders at any point and you notice it wandering,
You can bring your mind back to focus on the flow of your breathing.
In and down.
Up and out.
And so,
As you notice your body heavy and relaxed,
You may notice that your breathing has slowed.
Focus on the flow in and down.
And up and out.
The movement of the chest.
The movement of the stomach.
And you're calm and safe and secure.
Focusing on your breathing not only relaxes you,
Not only helps your muscles become heavier,
And in that heavy state they recharge and rebuild much quicker.
But focusing on your breathing brings you back to the moment.
Brings you back to the present.
Grounding and centering you.
And allowing you to regain control of your resources,
Of your abilities and strengths.
As you continue breathing and your body continues to relax,
I want you to know that by simply and consciously shifting your breathing down into the stomach,
You're creating huge benefits.
This deeper breathing is detoxifying your system.
Helping your lungs release toxins.
As you have already discovered,
This deeper breathing releases tension within the muscle.
This deeper breathing sends more oxygen to the brain,
Reducing anxiety.
This deeper breathing can reduce emotional pain,
Helping you reduce uneasy emotional feelings.
This deeper breathing can often reduce pain.
This deeper breathing massages your organs.
This deeper breathing sends more oxygen around your body,
Strengthening and building muscle.
This deeper breathing sends more oxygen through the bloodstream,
Boosting your immune system.
This deeper breathing,
Over time,
Gives greater core strength,
Improving your posture.
This deeper breathing helps the digestion of food.
This deeper breathing sends more oxygen to the brain and the nerves.
This deeper breathing boosts your energy levels.
This deeper breathing makes you happier.
This deeper breathing brings you back to the moment.
And this deeper breathing allows you to remain in control.
Your unconscious mind knows the benefits of changing your breathing.
Your unconscious mind can take over from time to time.
And so from this moment on,
When you find yourself in a situation that,
In the past,
May have caused some discomfort or unease,
You will find that,
Surprisingly,
Curiously,
You may notice that you're breathing slower,
You're breathing deeper.
And as you notice that change,
You realize that you are back in control.
You are always in control.
And you can choose now to drift down into sleep,
Letting go,
Simply letting go,
And drifting deeper,
And drifting deeper,
And deeper,
Deeper,
And deeper asleep.
Deep,
Deep down asleep.
Deep,
Deep down asleep.
Deep,
Deep down asleep.
Deep,
Deep down asleep.
