Welcome.
I'm glad you're here.
This practice is for the moments when your mind will not stop.
When you're tired but your thoughts keep running.
When you lie down and the mental list starts.
When you want to rest,
But your brain has other ideas.
We're not going to try to stop the thoughts.
That rarely works.
What we're going to do is give your nervous system a different signal through the breath.
Something simple.
Consistent.
And physical.
The thoughts can stay.
But we will work underneath them.
So when you feel ready.
Find a comfortable position.
Lying down is ideal.
If you're sitting.
Let your back be fully supported.
Maybe leaning against something if you can.
Let your arms rest without holding anything.
Let your legs be uncrossed and heavy.
If thoughts are already moving,
That's fine.
You don't need a quiet mind to begin this practice.
You just need a few minutes and a willingness to keep returning to the breath when you notice you've drifted.
So bring your attention to your breath now.
It might feel quick or shallow.
That's normal when the mind is active.
So just notice it without trying to change it yet.
When you're ready.
We begin.
And if your attention wanders,
Simply return it to the breath.
So in your own time,
Take a natural inhale.
And a longer,
Slower exhale.
Just that,
Nothing more complicated.
When you're ready,
Take another easy inhale and a slow exhale.
If a thought arrives,
Let it be there and come back to the exhale.
In your own time.
A soft inhale.
Longer,
Gentler exhale,
Jaw softening as you breathe out.
Naturally inhaling,
Slow complete exhaling,
Breath fading all the way to the end.
Another quiet inhale when you're ready.
And the softest,
Longest exhale yet,
Completing itself fully.
Resting in the pause at the end.
When you feel ready.
Let the breath return to its natural rhythm.
There's nothing more to manage.
The thoughts may still be there.
But notice if they feel any less urgent.
Any more distant.
Any less insistent.
This is what consistent exhale-led breathing does over just a few minutes.
It doesn't switch the mind off,
But it changes the volume.
If you're going towards sleep,
Let your eyes remain closed.
Keep the breath slow and easy.
If not Deepen your next inhale gently.
Let your eyes open when you're ready.
If this helped,
I have more practices for restless minds and tired bodies available on my profile.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
