As we begin,
Find a position that feels natural and comfortable for you.
If it feels right,
Then it is right.
To allow your spine to be straight yet relaxed.
And if you haven't already,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Take a deep,
Steady breath in.
And as you exhale,
Slowly allow yourself to settle fully into this moment.
Just breathe and become aware.
Now,
Allow me to gently guide you through a few grounding breaths.
Helping the body settle and the mind arrive fully in this moment.
So with me,
Inhale slowly through your nose,
Allowing the breath to move naturally.
And exhale gently through your mouth,
Slow and steady,
Letting the body soften.
Excellent.
And again,
Inhale through your nose,
Slow and easy,
Filling the lungs as much as feels comfortable.
And exhale through your mouth,
Long and controlled.
Now take one deeper breath in through the nose.
And at the top of that inhale,
Take a small second sip of air in.
Excellent.
Then exhale slowly through the mouth,
Long and steady,
Allowing the body to release and relax.
And as you exhale,
The shoulders soften.
The jaw relaxes.
The body begins to settle.
Breathing and becoming aware.
Breathing is one of the most powerful tools we have for calming the body.
And steadying the mind.
When we slow the breath and become aware of it,
We activate the body's natural relaxation response.
The system within the nervous system is responsible for rest,
Repair,
And emotional balance.
With each inhale,
Fresh oxygen moves through the body,
Supporting the brain,
Calming the nervous system,
And bringing clarity to the mind.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Each slow breath sends a quiet signal to the brain that we are safe.
The heart rate begins to slow.
Muscles soften.
And the mind gradually becomes calmer and more present.
Research also ensures that slow,
Steady breathing can reduce stress hormones and help move the body out of the fight-or-flight response,
Gently guiding the nervous system back towards balance.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Slow breathing also helps quiet the part of the brain responsible for stress and threat detection.
As the breath slows,
The mind begins to settle,
Allowing space for clarity,
Awareness,
And calm to return.
The breath brings us back to the present moment.
Back into the body.
Back into awareness.
And with each inhale and each exhale,
We gently return home to ourselves again and again.
The breath is the doorway back to yourself.
Just one breath at a time.
By breathing.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Continuing to settle into the breath.
Take a slow breath in through the nose and a slightly longer breath out.
Allow the breath to settle into this natural rhythm.
Easy.
Steady.
Unforced.
Notice the simple rhythm of breathing.
The inhale.
The exhale.
The body already knows how to do this.
The inhale.
The exhale.
Breathing is one of the most natural processes of the human body.
Even without thinking,
The body continues breathing to support the brain,
Nourishing the cells,
And maintaining balance within the nervous system.
With each inhale,
Oxygen moves through the lungs and into the bloodstream.
With each exhale,
The body releases carbon dioxide,
Tension,
And unnecessary effort.
So just breathe.
And notice.
Notice the chest gently rising and falling.
Notice the soft movement of the belly.
The quiet rhythm of life moving through you.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Each breath inviting you back to the present moment.
Each breath bringing you home.
Deepening our awareness of the breath.
Gently notice where you feel the breath most clearly in the body.
Perhaps in the chest.
Perhaps in the belly.
Perhaps in the shoulders.
There is no right or wrong place to notice the breath.
Just allow your awareness.
Breathing in.
Becoming aware.
Breathing out.
Softly.
Slow breathing allowing the nervous system to settle and the mind become quieter.
There is nothing you need to force.
Simply allow the breath to flow as it is.
If thoughts arrive,
They will gently notice that.
Thoughts are a natural activity of the mind.
And if you do notice the mind wandering,
Simply guide your attention back to the breath.
Again.
And again.
The breath is always here.
Always available.
Just breathing.
Nothing to do.
Nowhere to go.
Just this breath.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Now allow your awareness to open into the natural flow of the breath.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
No longer focusing on one place.
Just aware of the breath as a whole.
Breathing in.
Aware.
Breathing out.
Softly.
Letting the breath move freely.
Natural.
Steady.
Breathing in.
Receiving this moment.
Breathing out.
Settling into it.
The breath continues.
Effortless.
Constant.
Breathing in.
Here.
Breathing out.
Now.
Allowing yourself to rest in this rhythm.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Nothing to control.
Nothing to change.
Just breathing.
Just being.
Breathing in.
Opening to this moment.
Breathing out.
Arriving.
Steady.
Simple.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Breathing out.
At ease.
Just this breath.
Just this moment.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
As you come to the closures of this practice.
Stay with the flow of the breath.
The inhale.
The exhale.
Each breath creating space.
Space for awareness.
Space for calm.
Space for presence.
Take a deeper breath now.
Inhale gently through the nose.
And exhale slowly through the mouth.
Nothing to force.
Nothing to hold.
Just this breath.
Just this moment.
Okay,
Take another steady breath in.
And a long,
Slow breath out.
Relax.
And come home to yourself.
Just this moment.
Let it be enough.
You are loved.
And you are enough.
