Please prepare for the calming breath practice part two.
This is a short guided breathing practice which regulates the breath and quietens the mind and it can be done at any time of the day particularly if you are feeling tired or stressed.
This is the second track in the calming breath series and it's best to be totally comfortable with part one before moving on to this track.
Start by finding a quiet location,
Preferably a room where you can close the door and not be disturbed for the next 10 minutes.
Separating your legs,
Let your arms rest down on the floor beside you.
Make any adjustments to your position so you feel comfortable so you can be still for the remainder of the practice.
Move into a releasing breath by taking one or two longer breaths in and out and as you do that let your body relax down onto the floor.
Focus on the natural breath in your nostrils,
Feel the breath come in and out through your nose and as you breathe naturally begin to observe the corresponding movements in the abdomen and chest as the breath comes in and out.
Move into the practice of abdominal breathing,
Allowing the breath to flow in and out through your nostrils,
Letting the abdomen expand as the breath enters into the body,
Allowing the abdomen to contract as the breath leaves the body.
Continue with abdominal breathing on each breath,
Let there be a rise and fall in the abdomen.
Remembering in this practice the aim is for it to be gentle effort in the breathing but no forcing or creating strain with the breathing.
Let it be comfortable,
Allow the chest and the rib cage to be still and for the expansion and the contraction happening in the abdomen and if you like you can rest your hands on the abdomen,
Using the hands as a guide to feel the rise and the fall of each breath.
Keep the focus on the abdominal breath and feel this movement gently massaging internal organs as the diaphragm moves up and down,
Creating a rhythmic massaging movement.
Continue with the abdominal breathing,
Now adding a mental count to the practice,
Starting with a count of three,
So as you breathe in mentally counting to three and as you breathe out mentally counting to three and do this on each breath,
Adding a mental count to the practice,
So the inhalation and the exhalation is equal.
Count of three is given as a guide only,
If you feel this is uncomfortable or the breath becomes short and you can reduce the count,
Choosing a count that you feel comfortable with.
Continue abdominal breathing in your own time with a count that suits you,
You might find that the mind wanders or you become drowsy,
Each time that happens come back to the practice focusing on the abdominal breath and the mental count.
There should be no strain in the equalized breath,
Choose a comfortable count that can be maintained easily and developed over time.
You can gradually increase the count up to ten over a period of weeks or months if that's necessary for you.
When you're able to do this practice over quite a few minutes,
The benefits are that it regulates the breath and strengthens the diaphragm,
Resulting in relaxation and calmness of the body and mind.
Abdominal breathing practice can also be done sitting in a chair or on public transport or at your desk.
It's good practice to help you come out of your mind and into your body and into the present moment and after the next round of breathing,
Doing three more rounds of the abdominal breathing practice in your own time.
Once you have completed the last three rounds of abdominal breathing,
Let your breath come back to natural easy form,
Preparing to join back in the day.
The breathing practice is coming to an end,
When you're ready to you can slowly begin to introduce movement into your body.
The breathing practice is complete,
When you're ready you can roll onto one side and then slowly making your way up and opening your eyes when you're ready.
