Find a comfortable position,
Sitting tall or lying down,
And gently close your eyes if you wish.
Take a moment to arrive here,
Noticing your body supported beneath you.
Rest one hand lightly on your belly,
And breathe in slowly through your nose,
Letting your belly rise,
And as you exhale,
Letting it soften back towards your spine.
Inhale,
Belly rises.
Exhale,
Belly falls.
Inhale,
Belly rises.
Exhale,
Belly falls.
Using this diaphragmatic breathing,
Signals safety and calm to your nervous system.
Now begin to make your exhale just a little longer than your inhale.
Breathing in gently through the nose,
And breathing out slowly as if you have all the time in the world.
Each long exhale is like pressing the body's relaxation switch,
Slowing the heart,
Softening tension,
And calming the mind.
Now imagine your breath as gentle ocean waves.
With each inhale,
The wave rises,
And with each exhale,
The wave flows back down to the shore.
Inhale,
Wave gathers.
Exhale,
Wave releases.
Allowing your breath to find this soothing rhythm,
And notice the calm you've created.
Knowing you can revisit this whenever you need,
And carry this sense of ease with you into the rest of your day.