This is a gentle breathing wrist.
Made especially for people living with COPD.
There's nothing to achieve here,
And nothing you need to do perfectly.
This is simply a moment of support for you today.
Before we begin,
A few gentle reminders.
This practice is a support tool.
It sits alongside your medical care,
Never in place of it.
Please keep taking your medications and following the plan your doctor has given you.
If you ever want to try something new with your breathing,
Talk with your respiratory doctor or specialist first.
They know you and your lungs and they're the right person to guide any change.
Throughout this practice,
Be kind and easy on yourself.
We will never push,
Never force,
And never hold the breath.
If anything ever feels like a strain or makes you feel more breathless,
Simply let it go and breathe in whatever way is comfortable for you.
Easy breathing is always the right breathing.
If at any point you feel unwell,
Dizzy,
Or your symptoms flare,
Please pause the recording and tend to yourself and reach out to your care team if you need to.
There is no wrong way to do this.
Let's begin softening.
Find the position.
That feels comfortable and supported.
You might be sitting upright in a chair.
With your back supported and your feet resting on the floor.
Or resting propped up with pillows.
Choose whatever lets your chest and shoulders feel most at ease.
Let your hands rest gently,
Maybe on your lap or one resting softly on your tummy if that feels nice.
If it feels okay,
You might let your eyes close or simply let your gaze soften and rest downward.
Remember your mouth is closed and all the breathing is done gently in and out of your nose.
Let your shoulders drop just a little.
Let them be heavy,
There's nothing to hold up right now.
And just begin by noticing your breath.
Exactly as it is.
You don't need to change anything yet.
Just let it be however it is.
In and out.
In its own natural rhythm.
Let's gently invite a little more ease into the body.
As you breathe,
Let your jaw soften.
Let there be a small space between your teeth.
Let your tongue rest gently on the roof of your mouth.
Soften the muscles around your eyes.
And let your shoulders melt down away from your ears once more.
If your breath is quick or high in your chest right now,
That's completely okay.
We won't fight it.
Will just let it settle in its own time,
Like water finding stillness.
Now if it's comfortable,
Let's gently guide the breath,
Always staying soft,
Never forcing.
Breathe in gently through your nose if you can.
A small,
Easy breath.
Now let the breath flow out slowly,
Like a long,
Quiet sigh through the nose.
That slow relaxed breath out is the heart of this practice.
The out breath is where we rest.
Let's do a few together at your own comfortable pace.
Breathe in softly through the nose.
And slowly,
Gently out.
Again,
In softly.
And a long,
Easy breath out.
Now I fit.
Just letting it go.
Beautiful.
Keep this going in your own gentle rhythm.
The small breath in is small.
And easy.
The breath out is slow and unhurried.
There's no need to fill the lungs and no need to empty them.
Just easy in and slow,
Restful out.
If counting ever helps,
You might silently think in two,
Three,
Four as you breathe in.
The out-breath be a little longer.
Like our two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
But only if that feels good.
If it makes you strain or chase the breath,
Let the numbers go completely and just breathe in the way your body wants to.
Remember,
Easy on yourself.
This is not exercise,
This is rest.
Let the breath become effortless now.
You don't need to guard it anymore.
Just let your body breathe itself.
Gently in.
Whatever way feels most comfortable.
Notice the quiet pause after each breath out,
That soft moment of stillness.
You don't need to create it or hold it,
Just notice it.
If it's there.
You're doing beautifully.
Simply being here.
Breathing gently,
Being kind to yourself,
That's the whole practice.
Nice easy breath in through the nose.
And a longer,
Nice,
Relaxed breath out through the nose.
As we draw to the end.
Let your breath be completely your own again,
However it wants to be.
Take a moment to notice how you feel.
Maybe a little calmer.
Might be a little more settled.
And if you don't feel anything different,
That's perfectly okay too.
Just being gentle with yourself today is enough.
You may have felt warmth in your hands You may have felt calmer.
You may have felt a buildup of saliva in your mouth.
That is simply moving into rest and digest,
Which is good.
Remember,
Whenever you do this exercise,
Do not put any stress on yourself.
Carry this softness with you if you can.
And remember,
You can return to this quiet,
Easy breathing anytime you like,
In small moments through the day.
Please keep looking after yourself.
And keep your respiratory doctor or specialist alongside you for anything new you'd like to try.
Thank you for spending this time with your breath today.
Take care of yourself.
Be well.
And remember to pop something in the comments or feedback if there's anything you would like different or let me know how you felt about this recording.
So I can keep building the catalogue for you.
