Pocket Practice: Three Step Breathing Space - Extra Guidance

Pocket Practices are a series of short mindfulness practices, each lasting less than five minutes, designed to fit into everyday life.

Whether you have a spare moment or simply need to pause, each practice offers a gentle way to reconnect with the present moment. They may be particularly helpful if you've completed an eight-week Mindfulness for Life course and are looking for simple ways to keep your practice alive, while remaining accessible and beneficial for anyone curious about bringing a little more mindfulness into their day.

This version of the Breathing Space offers extra support during difficult moments, encouraging a fuller focus on the breath in step 2 and an openness to experience in step 3, encouraging acceptance and the ability to be with whatever is being experienced.

Transcript

Three-step breathing space with extra guidance. I'm in breath. Becoming aware of anything that's present for you in just this moment. Noticing any thoughts. Maybe your emotions or any mood that's around at the moment. No, You don't need to fix anything or change anything. Noticing sensations in the body. Gathering and narrowing the focus of attention now to settle on the breath. Wherever you notice it most clearly. Moving in to the sensations here. If it's helpful, You may choose to count the breaths. So breathing in. . . Breathing out. Or perhaps naming the breaths. Breathing in. Breathing out. Just being with the breath and noticing if the mind wanders. Recognising where it's gone. And ever so gently guiding it back to sensations of breathing. And the counting or naming of the breaths. And when you are ready, On an out breath. . . Expanding your attention to take in the entirety of this body. All and any sensations. From the top of the head right down to the tips of the toes. Noticing anywhere in the body where you're holding tension. Noticing your posture and your facial expressions. Maybe noticing any signs of reactivity within the broader field of your awareness. Maybe there's some tightening or holding in the body. Maybe a sense of bracing against or pulling away. And if this is here, Seeing how it is to respond with kindness, Gentleness. And simply breathing with these sensations. Bringing some compassion. To whatever is being experienced in the body and the mind right now. If it feels right for you, Keeping in contact with whatever is here. Maybe saying to yourself, Whatever it is, Is already here. So let me experience this just for this moment. I don't have to like it. Just noticing it's here. Just taking a couple of deep breaths. Bringing this expanded open attention. Into the next moments of your day.