Healing takes time,
And asking for help is a courageous step.
Welcome to this breathwork session designed to bring a sense of deep relaxation and safety to your body and mind.
This practice is gentle,
Steady and grounding,
Helping you shift from tension to calm.
You are not alone in your experience,
The body holds on to stress,
But it also holds the key to release.
The breath is your most powerful tool to shift from survival mode into a space of peace and recovery.
Find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down.
If it feels good,
Allow your eyes to close or soften your gaze.
Close your mouth,
Rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth,
This is all nasal breathing.
Let's begin.
Anne Lamott once said,
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes,
Including you.
Take a slow,
Soft breath in through your nose,
And pause.
Now exhale,
Even slower through your nose,
Letting the air leave effortlessly.
Begin to notice the rhythm of your breath.
Instead of breathing deeply,
Focus on breathing lightly and quietly.
Let the air drift in and out of your nose with minimal effort.
Feel the inhale rising,
Feel the exhale falling.
Let the breath become smaller,
Almost imperceptible as if you're breathing just enough to be comfortable.
With each breath,
Your body softens.
With each exhale,
Tension dissolves.
Now,
Let's gently slow down the breath.
We'll breathe in our nose for a count of four,
And we'll exhale for a count of six.
I will count you in and take you through the first few rounds.
In three,
Two,
One.
Breathe in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Keep going for me.
If the count isn't exact,
It doesn't matter.
What does matter is that you are breathing in for roughly four seconds,
And out for six seconds.
By breathing less,
We invite the nervous system into a parasympathetic state,
The state of deep rest and healing.
Keep going,
You're doing really well.
An unknown person once quoted,
Inhale the future,
Exhale the past.
Now we shift our focus to the volume of our breath.
The goal is not to take big breaths,
But to rather reduce the amount of air moving in and out,
Calming the mind and body.
On a day-to-day basis,
Most of us breathe too fast and too much air.
Let's keep bringing it back down to the bare minimum.
Breathe in through your nose,
Soft and gentle.
Breathe out,
Slow and effortless.
With each breath,
Imagine taking in slightly less air than before.
You are breathing in just enough,
Just what your body needs.
No more,
No less.
By reducing the volume of your breath,
You are signaling safety to the nervous system.
The body moves out of a hyper-alert state and into balance.
A small,
Quiet inhale.
A soft,
Effortless exhale.
A gentle pause before the next inhale.
Your breath is light,
Your breath is still.
While you do this,
Know that when you do this,
Your carbon dioxide levels increase.
This is not a bad thing.
When they do increase,
They do two really,
Really important things.
Firstly,
Your vagus nerve is triggered,
Which slows the heart rate down.
Your blood becomes slightly more acidic,
Meaning that the brain tells it to release more oxygen from the hemoglobin.
Meaning you get better,
More efficient oxygen delivery to all of your tissues,
Including up to 50% more to your brain.
All of this tells your mind that it is safe.
When you own your breath and control your breath,
Nothing or no one can steal your peace.
Now let's bring steadiness to your breath with a simple rhythm.
You're going to breathe in for 5 seconds and out for 5 seconds.
It's as simple as that.
So in 3,
2,
1.
Breathe in 2,
3,
4,
5.
Out 2,
3,
4,
5.
In 2,
3,
4,
5.
Out 2,
3,
4,
5.
Continue to do this.
This steady rhythm signals to your brain that you are safe.
Feel your heart rate slowing,
Your muscles softening.
Feel your mind clearing.
With each breath,
Imagine yourself sinking into deep stillness.
You are exactly where you need to be.
You don't need to go back,
You don't need to go forward,
Left,
Right,
Up or down.
Just stay within yourself and use your breath to center you and clear your mind.
Dan Millman once said,
You don't have to control your thoughts,
You just have to stop letting them control you.
Now,
Let go of control.
There is nothing to fix,
Nothing to change,
Just be.
Return to your natural breath,
Keeping your mouth closed.
Let it flow effortlessly,
Like waves rolling onto the shore.
Feel your body resting in the safety of this moment.
Scan from the top of your head down to your toes,
Noticing any last traces of tension.
With your next exhale,
Release.
You are safe,
You are here,
You are whole.
When you are ready,
Gently bring movement back into your body.
Wiggling fingers,
Rolling shoulders or taking a soft stretch.
Whenever you need,
Return to this practice.
Your breath is always here,
Waiting to guide you home.
You survived the storm,
Now it is time to breathe.
