One Breath: A Meditation On Change

As the seasons shift, this practice offers a simple way to move WITH change instead of resisting it. Using the physiological sigh, a breath technique shown to calm the nervous system quickly, we'll practice fully taking in each moment and fully releasing it — training the body in the same rhythm that change itself asks of us.

Transcript

Welcome to our practice today, A meditation on change. Go ahead and find a comfortable position seated or lying down. And let your eyes begin to close or soften your gaze downward. We're going to begin with noticing the breath as it is right now in this moment. We're so lucky because our body normally breathes for us. But today, We're going to practice breathing. For the body. So just notice where you are right now. Not trying to change anything. Let's be with the breath. As it is. In this moment. And now before we begin, Let's learn the shape of the breath. That we'll use today. We're going to breathe in through the nose. Filling most of the way up. And then without exhaling, Take one more small sip of air on top of that. And now let it all go slowly, Fully through the mouth. Like a sigh. And that's the whole pattern, That's it. It's two breaths in. One long breath out. Let's do it again. Seal your lips. Inhale through your nose. A little more on top. And release slowly and completely through your mouth. It doesn't need to be forced. Or dramatic. We're gathering the breath. And then we're letting it go. Notice something about the pattern. The two inhales don't try to hold on to the air. They simply take in what's needed, Fully. And that everything is released without holding back. And that's not a bad a way. To move through a season of change. Take in what this moment is actually offering. Completely. Then let it go. Completely. Not halfway. Not gripping the inhale or rationing the exhale. Full gathering. Full release. Continue breathing here at your own pace. Two inhales, One long exhale. As we sit with what change actually asks of us. Nothing outside stays the same for long. Not the weather. Not the light. Not the body you're sitting in right now compared to a year ago. Change isn't an interruption to life. It is. The shape life takes. Take another inhale. A little more. And out slowly. Keep breathing just like this. Most of what makes change hard isn't the change itself, It's the effort of holding on. To what is already leaving. While also refusing what's already arriving. That can get really exhausting. The breath you're practicing doesn't do that. It takes what it needs. And then lets it go. It's not a tug of war. That's the invitation right now. Not to necessarily like the change. Not even to accept it fully. Just to stop gripping and holding on. Breathe in. Top it off. And let it go all the way. Notice if you can. How your body feels after each exhale. It's a small settling. A little more space than a moment before. That settling isn't something you're doing. It's something your body already knows how to do. The same way it already knows how to breathe. Grow. Heal and adapt without instruction. Change is not foreign to this body. It has been changing you gently since the day you were born. Another breath in. A little more. Out long and unhurried. Whatever transition you're in. That may or may not feel difficult for you. A season of the year. Or season of your life. You don't have to figure it out in this sitting. You just have to let one breath be complete. Gathered fully. Released fully. For the next few moments, Simply continue the pattern on your own. Two inhales. One long exhale. And if your mind wanders to what's changing in your life, That's fine. Let the thought be there and return your attention to the shape of your breath in and out. A little more. Out slow and complete. A little more. Out. Keep going at your own rhythm for the next few moments. Notice how your body feels. Not better or worse necessarily, Just different from when you started. Which is itself a small proof of what this whole practice has been about. And now before you open your eyes, Take one more breath in. A little more. And let it out all the way. Let this be a kind of permission to meet whatever is changing in your life. By gathering it in fully and then letting it move through you. Rather than holding on past its time. When you're ready, Let your eyes open. The seasons will change fully. Whether or not you allow them. See if you can fully let it go and allow it in. Namaste.