Hi,
I'm Steph Gadsden and I'm going to walk you through a mindfulness of breath exercise.
This meditation can be done daily to calm the mind,
Decrease stress and help you to choose to be proactive rather than reactive.
Find a comfortable upright seated position,
Either in a chair or on the floor.
Rest your hands on your knees and let your shoulders relax.
Quickly close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath.
I want you to focus all your attention on the space between the base of the nostrils and the top of the mouth.
You don't need to change your breath at all,
You are just focusing all your attention on the breath going in and out of the nose.
Your breath will regulate by itself.
There's no need to change it,
Manipulate it,
Breathe deeply,
Your body knows what to do.
Just notice the breath coming in and out of the nose.
Thoughts may come into your mind and that is normal.
We are human beings and we are designed to think.
Label any thoughts that come into your mind as either agreeable thoughts,
Neutral thoughts or disagreeable thoughts and then return your attention to your breath.
Agreeable thoughts might be thoughts that you are excited about,
Ideas,
New projects or maybe thinking about someone you care for.
Change these thoughts as agreeable and then return your attention to your breath.
Neutral thoughts are those that are neither positive or negative,
That don't evoke any emotional response.
For instance,
Making lists,
Working out what you are going to have for dinner or thinking about what you just ate for lunch.
Label these thoughts as neutral thoughts and then return your attention to your breath.
Agreeable thoughts are those thoughts that can be particularly negative.
They might be thoughts of judgement about your experience.
You might be critical to yourself or others.
They may be thoughts of worry about the past or future.
These thoughts are not useful thoughts.
Acknowledge these thoughts as disagreeable thoughts and then return your attention to your breath.
It doesn't matter how many thoughts or distractions you experience in this meditation,
The number of thoughts or thoughts you experience will not matter.
The notion of labelling the thought as agreeable,
Neutral or disagreeable and then returning to your breath will help you to be more mindful every day.
Notice the sensations that the breath creates as you breathe in and as you exhale.
Do you notice any tingling or warmth around the nose or the mouth?
Do you notice as the air hits the nostrils?
Or do you notice nothing at all?
Just keep your mind resting on the breath as it gently passes in and out of the nose.
Anchor your mind on the inhalation or exhalation with gentle focus.
Be curious about how the breath feels.
Delve into the details of the breath as it enters and leaves the nose.
Can you notice the temperature of the breath?
Is it cool?
Is it warm?
Can you notice the density of the air as you breathe in?
Does it feel thick or light?
Can you notice the pace of your breath?
Is it rapid or slow?
Notice these characteristics to help keep your mind anchored on your breath.
I'm going to allow you now two minutes of silence to focus all your attention on your breath.
Remember distractions will come as thoughts.
You can label them as agreeable,
Disagreeable or neutral and then just return to your breath.
Remember it doesn't matter how many times you are distracted in these two minutes.
It's the notion of bringing your attention from the distraction and deliberately choosing to focus on your breath that helps to engage the processes in the brain that contribute to mindfulness.
I will let you know when the two minutes is up.
Slowly bring your mind back if it has wandered.
Focus your attention on the breath just gently going in and out of the nose.
Feel the sensations created by the breath as it enters and leaves your body.
Slowly bring your awareness back to the noises around you.
Expand your focus past your breath to your entire body.
And then when you are ready slowly and gently open your eyes and return your attention to your day ahead.
Thank you for joining me for this mindfulness of breath meditation.
