Welcome.
This practice is about using breath as a bridge between body and mind,
Between doing and being.
Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down.
Let's take a moment to tune in to how your body is feeling right now and let it just be exactly what it is.
If your body feels fidgety,
Let it be as fidgety as it wants,
Maybe shaking or wiggling for a few moments.
If the body feels heavy and tired,
Let it completely sink into the surface you're resting on.
Seeing what happens when we give however we're feeling physically lots of space to just be there and come through.
No need to change it.
And then when you're ready,
Begin to notice your breath.
Not trying to control it,
Just noticing.
Inhale and exhale.
Where do you feel the breath most easily right now?
Maybe it's at the tip of your nose.
Maybe it's in your belly,
In the gentle rising and falling.
Maybe it's in the chest,
A little tightness when we get to the top of the inhale.
Wherever it's most noticeable,
That can be your anchor point for now.
Now let's see what happens if we start lengthening the exhale just a little bit.
We'll breathe in for a count of three or four.
And exhale slowly out for a count of five or six.
Inhale again.
Exhale,
Let it be a little bit longer.
Let's do a few more like that.
Inhaling.
Exhaling long,
Maybe letting a sigh on the way out too.
Long exhales and sighs signal to our nervous system that it's safe to shift gears,
To slow down.
What's it like to let your attention ride on the breath like a wave?
The inhales help to keep us right here,
Right now.
The exhales help us surrender just a tiny bit more.
If thoughts come up,
Let them.
You don't need to push anything away.
But see if you can keep returning to the breath.
Let it be that bridge from outside to inside.
From chaos to clarity.
And now seeing if we can feel how this breath affects our body.
Does the inhale create a little expansion,
Bring in a little energy?
Does the exhale soften anything,
Bring in just a little feeling of release?
Can you feel a little bit more space inside as we stay with that breath?
You might gently sway or rock if that feels good.
Letting the body move with the breath.
Staying with our breath is a skill and a remembering.
The breath is always here,
Always moving.
And you can return to it any time that you need.
Take one more deep inhale.
And a long,
Soft exhale.
Let's do two more like that.
Making it your own.
Two more really satisfying breaths.
Whatever that looks like for you.
And let's let ourselves pause here.
Just noticing how you feel.
And when you're ready,
You can slowly bring your attention back into the room around you.
Opening the eyes,
Looking around,
Reorienting yourself back into the space.
Thanks for practicing.
And I'll see you soon.
