Pocket Practice: Three Step Breathing Space - Mindful Action

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.

In difficult moments, we use the Three-Step Breathing Space to come out of autopilot, recognise what is happening, and open up the possibility of a wiser response. During the third step, you might ask yourself, “How can I best take care of myself in the midst of this?”. Wise action might involve doing something supportive, enjoyable, choosing an activity that brings a sense of meaning or purpose, or simply continuing with a mindful attitude.

Transcript

Three-step breathing space as a first step to mindful action. On an 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. On and out breath now, Sweeping the body. Seeking a place that feels steady and grounding for you. Somewhere you feel you could rest your attention. Maybe the feet, The seat, The hands. Or any sensations associated with breathing. Just as much as you're able to, Focusing your attention in this place, Really tuning in with a sense of open. And careful curiosity. Just noticing what's here. In the reality of your experience right now. 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. Asking yourself now, How can I best take care of myself in this moment? What does this moment need? Options include doing something to take care of yourself, Perhaps doing something enjoyable. Maybe doing something that gives you a sense of meaning or purpose. Or perhaps simply continuing to do whatever you were doing. But do it mindfully. And of course, There's always the option to simply do nothing. Just taking a couple of deep breaths. Bringing this expanded open attention. Into the next moments of your day.