I want to take a moment to acknowledge how you might be feeling right now.
It's completely natural to feel uneasy before or during a medical procedure.
You may be experiencing a racing heart,
Shortness of breath or a feeling of being out of control.
Maybe there's discomfort,
Uncertainty or the fear of the unknown.
These sensations are your body's natural response to stress.
But right now,
I'm here to guide you through a simple breath practice that can help.
The way you breathe has a direct effect on how you feel.
By adjusting your breath,
You can slow your heart rate,
Reduce tension and signal to your body that you are safe.
You don't need to force anything,
Just follow along and allow your breath to work for you.
Firstly,
Let's soften the breath and reduce the volume.
To begin,
If you feel comfortable,
Gently close your eyes,
If not just soften your gaze.
Now bring your awareness to your breath.
Without changing anything,
Just notice it.
Where do you feel it?
In your chest,
Your nose or your belly?
If you can,
Close your mouth,
Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and let's do all the breathing through our nose.
The goal here is to breathe less,
Not more.
Take a gentle inhale through your nose,
Just enough to feel the air enter.
Now exhale softly through your nose.
Imagine your breath becoming lighter and quieter,
As if you're barely breathing at all.
Let's do this again.
Let's breathe in a soft small breath through the nose and a soft breath out the nose.
Slow and quiet.
With each breath,
Feel your body settling.
The less you breathe,
The calmer you will feel.
Now we're going to introduce small breath holds to signal safety to our nervous system.
This will help you slow down any racing thoughts or rapid breathing.
Take a small breath in through your nose.
Now breathe out gently through your nose.
And at the end of the exhale,
Pause for 3,
2,
1.
Then inhale softly through your nose again.
Let's try that again.
Breathe in lightly through your nose.
Then breathe out slowly.
Then hold for 3,
2,
1 before inhaling gently.
Each time you pause on your exhale,
Imagine your body settling.
These small holds help reset your breath and slow everything down.
Try this for another 3 to 4 cycles.
With each breath,
You are clearing your mind because you are just focusing on your breath.
You are creating a stillness within yourself.
You are in control and your breath is guiding you.
Now we will focus on making the exhale longer than the inhale.
This is one of the fastest ways to reduce stress and create a feeling of calm.
We're going to breathe in for 3 and out for 6.
I will count you in.
In 3,
2,
1.
Breathe in 2,
3,
Out 2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
In 2,
3,
Out 2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Keep going for me.
With each round that you do and each slow exhale,
You are sending a message to your body and indeed your mind that everything is okay.
The longer you exhale,
The more relaxed you will feel.
Do a few more rounds for me now please.
Now,
Bring your mind to a place,
A person or a memory that makes you feel safe.
Maybe it's the warmth of the sun on your skin,
The sound of the ocean or the feeling of being held by someone you love.
Let's take one final breath together.
Inhale softly through your nose.
Exhale slowly,
Longer,
Longer and let go.
Know that your body is strong.
Your breath is your anchor.
At any moment you can return to this practice and find calm.
You are safe,
You are supported and you are in control.
