Welcome.
If anxiety is present right now,
Whether it feels strong or subtle,
You're in the right place to slow things down.
Nothing needs to change before we begin.
We're not trying to get rid of anything or fix anything.
We're simply creating a little more space in the body,
Breath,
And mind.
As we practice today,
Everything is optional.
If at any point something doesn't feel supportive,
You can return to natural breathing,
Keep the eyes open or pause altogether.
Just take a moment to notice where the body is supported.
Perhaps contact the feet with the ground,
The weight of the legs,
The support beneath you.
If it feels okay,
Let the hands rest somewhere steady on the thighs,
The belly,
Or at the heart,
Taking this time allowing the body to register that it's safe.
Now we'll begin with a gentle breathing pattern that emphasizes the exhale,
And over time we slowly extend it out.
Here's the rhythm so you know what to expect.
It will be a slow inhale through the nose,
A second smaller sip of air in,
And then a long easy exhale out through the mouth.
But we'll move through this together now.
Inhale through the nose,
Small second sip in,
And a long unforced exhale through the mouth.
Again,
Inhale,
Sip,
Long exhale.
One more time,
Inhale,
Sip,
Slow exhale.
Let the shoulders soften.
We'll continue a few more rounds here,
This time allowing the exhale to be a little bit longer than the inhale.
Inhale,
Sip,
Longer exhale.
Inhale,
Sip,
Longer exhale.
Let the jaw be easy,
Let the breath be unforced.
Inhale,
Sip,
Longer exhale.
And then let the mouth gently close,
Let the breath return to in and out through the nose when it feels comfortable.
No effort to control it,
Just noticing the quieter rhythm of the breath as it is at this time.
Next we'll move into a steady even breath,
Equal in length on the inhale and exhale,
Going in and out through the nose.
I will count it out for you and then open some space for you to explore.
Let's begin.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
One more together.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Now continue at a pace that feels steady for you,
Not forced,
Not strained.
So maybe you stretch that out to six or further,
Or maybe you shorten it down to four or three,
Depending on your needs.
Let the breath move slowly,
Smoothly,
Without pushing.
If the mind becomes busy,
That's okay.
Come right back to the count.
Now let's experiment with adding a quiet phrase to the breath.
Since you've gotten into a bit of a pattern with the counting,
Let's just let the counting go and let your breath follow a similar pattern.
On the inhale,
Here.
On the exhale,
Now.
Or simply inhale,
Rise,
Aghast.
Observing the rise and fall of chest and belly as you breathe.
Your choice,
Your phrase,
No need to repeat perfectly.
Just offering the nervous system something simple to return to.
Inhale,
Here.
Exhale,
Now.
If incorporating this phrase does not feel supportive for you,
You can always come back to the counting of your breath.
Let the breath move smoothly,
Without forcing.
Now we'll release any counting or phrases.
Just allow the breath to be natural again,
An automatic pattern.
Notice if anything has shifted,
Even slightly.
Maybe the shoulders feel a bit softer,
The jaw less clenched,
More space between the eyebrows.
Maybe the breath feels steadier and the heart rate slower.
Maybe there's just a little more space around the thoughts and comfort in your body.
And if nothing feels different,
That's okay too.
This practice still counts.
Let's take one more easy breath together.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Let it go.
Gently come back when you're ready.
Thank you for meditating with me.
