Welcome,
This short breath work practice is designed to gently interrupt anxiety,
Loops of negative thoughts and to help your nervous system settle.
We will achieve this by slowing the breath,
Lengthening the exhales and removing any need for effort.
This practice sends a clear signal of safety to the body,
Allowing it to move out of fight and flight and into a calmer,
More regulated state of rest and digest.
You will be invited to inhale through the nose to a steady count of four,
Inflating the lungs.
There will be a brief pause,
Then there will be a brief opportunity to inflate the lungs even more,
Topping them up,
And then with an open mouth and a cathartic sigh just release the breath through the mouth.
So to recap,
You will inhale through the nose to a count of four,
Pause briefly,
And then inhale topping up the breath to five,
Before releasing the exhale through the mouth with a sigh,
And then repeat.
There are no breath holds,
No forcing,
And nothing to do perfectly.
If at any point you prefer to breathe naturally,
Simply do so,
Your body will still receive the benefit.
I invite you now to start to find a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down,
And allow your body to feel supported.
Let the shoulder soften,
Let the jaw unclench,
And then when you're ready,
Gently close your eyes or have a soft gaze.
In your mind's eye,
Imagine yourself sitting exactly as you are now.
See an outline of yourself,
Your shape and form,
Like a hollow version of yourself,
An avatar if you will,
Spacious,
Open,
Ready.
As you breathe in,
Imagine the breath as a soft,
Calming colour,
Whatever colour feels most soothing to you today.
With each inhale,
That colour gently fills you from the inside,
And each exhale the body softens and settles.
Okay,
Let's prepare to breathe together,
Three,
Two,
One,
Exhale.
Inhale through the nose,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause,
Five,
And release.
Softly sigh the breath out,
And repeat,
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause,
Five,
And release.
Let your breath be your guide,
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause,
Five,
And release.
At the exhale,
Soothe you,
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause,
Five,
Nothing to fix,
And release,
Nothing to force,
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause,
Five,
And release.
Feel as the tension releases with each exhale,
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause,
Five,
And release.
Notice how each exhale you feel more peaceful and calm,
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause,
Five,
And release.
You're safe to slow down and release,
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause,
Five,
And release.
Allow the breathing rhythm to gently fade into your natural breath.
No counting,
No shaping,
Just noticing how your body feels right now.
Notice the space around you,
Within you.
However this moment feels,
And whatever you're experiencing,
It's exactly how it should be.
You can return to this practice whenever you need.
Whenever anxiety arises,
You need to reset,
Or you simply need to reconnect with yourself.
You don't need long sessions to feel a shift.
Sometimes just a few steady breaths are enough.
Now rest here for as long as you like,
But when you're ready,
And there's no rush,
Allow this feeling of calm to carry you into the rest of your day.
Namaste.
