Welcome.
Thanks for joining me for this really brief breath practice.
Now,
I know it doesn't work for everyone,
But for me,
Paying attention to my breath is one easy way that I can support myself,
Especially when I'm having a hard time.
If that's also true for you,
Let's do this together as a way of gathering ourselves in the moment and of offering ourselves some self-care.
Really an opportunity to ground,
To come into ourselves and be fully available to the experience of this very moment.
And so as we begin,
I just want to invite you to find whatever position feels comfortable.
So maybe you're seated or maybe you're lying down,
Maybe you're standing.
Just investigate your own body and find what feels right for you today.
So I'm actually seated and I'm noticing that the four corners of my feet are on the floor.
Noticing that the floor feels smooth under my socks.
And I'm seated on a sofa so it's soft.
And as I touch it,
I notice that the fabric feels a little bit nubby,
Feels warm.
Maybe you can take a moment to pay attention to the sensory experience of just sitting and being in your body.
And as we begin this breath practice,
There's nothing special we have to do.
We just want to pay attention to our experience.
So what are we noticing as we begin?
And what's nice about this practice is that it's portable so we can do it anywhere.
We can do it at home,
In the car,
At work,
In the bathroom.
Just anywhere we go,
The breath is always available to us.
It's a really valuable tool for being present in the body,
Being present for the experience of the moment,
Reminding ourselves that we are alive and we are available to care for ourselves with loving attention.
No matter where we are,
We can use the breath as an anchor.
That can be especially helpful when it feels like we're flying away.
We can be here,
We can be available,
And we can do it with courage and confidence.
So let's go ahead and continue.
Just if it feels right,
Pay attention to your bottom on the chair,
Noticing your sitz bones.
Maybe pay attention to your feet on the floor.
If you're lying down,
Just notice what it feels like to be supported.
And if you can,
Bring your spine straight.
That could look like a big good morning stretch,
Arms overhead,
Or it might look like lifting the spine,
Bringing the crown of the head up toward the ceiling.
And as you do that,
Just notice what it feels like as the breath moves in your body.
You might notice coolness in your throat,
Or maybe you notice what it feels like to have your belly lifting,
Rising,
And falling.
Or maybe you experience breathing as movement in the chest or a light brush of air on your top lip.
However you notice the breath in the body,
Let yourself connect to the experience of aliveness that the breath can bring.
And as you settle into the experience of breathing,
I invite you to join me in a few rounds of belly breathing.
Stiphamatic breathing that really lets the breath settle into,
Move into,
And out of the belly.
That really helps us settle,
Can be grounding,
Can be centering.
And we'll do that for just about two minutes.
So I'll invite you now to lift the spine,
Lengthen the body,
And inhale,
Letting the belly rise.
Maybe you'll feel your rib cage expanding,
Feeling the air coming into the body.
And when you feel full,
Let the belly fall,
Exhale all the air.
Just letting everything go as the breath exhales.
Maybe even extending the exhale,
Ending with a sigh.
I'm going to invite you to do that for just about two minutes.
Just letting the belly rise and fall.
Just letting the belly rise and fall.
Letting yourself be with the experience of inhaling and exhaling.
Easy breaths,
And I'll watch the time.
I'll sound the bell at one minute.
So there's nothing else you have to do right now.
Just be with the experience of breathing,
Noticing how that feels in the body.
Noticing how that feels in the body,
Barely rising.
Noticing where you feel the breath,
Noticing where you feel the breath,
Barely falling.
Letting everything go.
Maybe seeing if you can extend your exhale just a little bit longer.
Stay with your breath.
Letting a sense of spaciousness come into the body.
Maybe noticing if any ease or openness comes up.
Maybe noticing if anything shifts or changes.
Making space for this experience.
One more deep breath in.
And as we close this practice,
I encourage you to take away a sense of groundedness,
A sense of presence.
The breath is always with you.
Let it be a reminder that you are enough,
That you can at any time connect with your inner wisdom,
Your inner clarity,
Your inner resilience.
Let the breath remind you that whatever comes up,
You have the capacity to be with it with kindness.
Being with our breath can remind us to slow down,
To have confidence that we can make the next best step.
The breath can remind us that we don't have to be afraid of our feelings,
That all feelings come and go.
And one breath at a time,
We can get through all the feelings,
Both the ones we like and the ones we don't like.
Letting the breath remind us that we don't have to be afraid of our feelings,
That all feelings come and go.
Letting the breath remind us that we don't have to be afraid of our feelings,
That all feelings come and go.
May you stay connected to your breath and the ease and peace and joy available to you.
May you be well.
Thank you.
