The one minute breathing space,
A stress buster for when life begins to drag you down.
When you feel angry,
Fearful or alone,
Or when your body feels full of tension,
Aches and pains,
This one minute breathing space will help to soothe your frayed nerves and put a space between you and your troubles.
This meditation accompanies Mindfulness for Health by Vidyamala Birch and Danny Penman.
Become still wherever you are and allow yourself to settle.
Let your weight sink into gravity.
If you notice tension anywhere in your body,
Can you let it go a little as your body sinks down onto the floor beneath you?
And now,
Allow your awareness to gather around the experience of the breath in the front,
Back and sides of the torso.
Feel all the different sensations of the breath as it flows into and out of the body.
Use the breath to anchor your awareness in the present moment and the body over and over again.
And now gently broaden and expand your awareness.
Become aware of sounds,
Of other people and the world around you.
Gently open your eyes,
Begin to move your body and re-engage with the activities of your day.