Hello and welcome to Breathing for Beginners.
And you can lie down to do this meditation,
If you feel like,
If you prefer to sit,
That's fine.
Just take a moment to observe your breathing,
Without any judgment,
Just letting it be exactly what it is in the present moment.
And also take a moment to get comfortable.
Say hello to your amazing body.
Take a few deep breaths and make noise.
I can't hear you as you breathe out,
If you feel like.
Rearrange your body to become more present and more comfortable.
Your breathing will tell you a lot about your state of mind and your state of being.
So just consciously tune in and observe.
Simply observe.
And today we're going to play with the idea of breathing as a tool that creates space.
And you're going to engage your imagination,
Imaging,
Creating images.
Because that's a language your body really understands,
Your pictures,
Your thoughts.
So having the image in your mind of your nose,
Your nostrils and your lungs.
Picturing your lungs,
Lung-shaped balloons.
Two lungs,
A right and a left.
And have some fun really seeing as you breathe in through the nose,
With your mouth closed.
You're filling your lung-shaped balloons.
They're three-dimensional objects.
And really allow them to expand in every direction,
Like a balloon would if you filled it with air.
And just notice that they're elastic.
They've got a stretchy feeling to them.
You can expand them.
And notice if the fabric of your lungs is feeling fluid and easy to move.
Really build the image of the lung-shaped balloons and of your ability to fill them with air.
Imagine that as you send the air deeper and deeper into your lung-shaped balloons,
Your lungs,
Your lower abdomen starts to also respond by movement.
Release all your weight onto the surface supporting you.
And really focus on the image of your lungs filling with air.
And now pay attention to the motion out to the sides of your ribcages,
The transverse expansion.
And notice that you have that much control on your breathing,
That you can choose which sides and how to expand your lungs.
I'll be quiet to let you explore that.
Now we're going to play with a longer breath.
Closing your mouth,
Breathing in through the nostrils.
Taking your air to the depth of your lungs and your abdomen rising.
And continuing so that your lungs expand out to the sides.
Wait a second before you exhale.
And then exhale.
Pause before inhaling.
Breathing in through the nostrils.
Filling the lower lungs and letting your abdomen rise in all directions.
Continuing out to the sides.
And next connect your pelvic floor muscle with your breath.
Breathing in through the nostrils.
Letting your abdomen rise.
Letting your pelvic floor move by your breathing out to the sides of your lungs.
Let the air out.
Exhale.
Pelvic floor movement,
It's not about you moving the pelvic floor,
It's about your breath and your breathing moving it.
In a non-effort way.
So just try again.
Inhaling,
Sending it deep.
Expanding the stomach,
Abdomen.
Letting the pelvic floor enjoy that.
Continuing the breathing in,
Expanding the lungs,
Towards the sides.
Pause.
Exhale.
And I'll be quiet so you can explore that.
Just practicing this kind of breathing for 30 to 50 seconds can often switch your whole state of being into a state of rest and restitution.
And help your nervous system stay out of fight or flight and in regeneration and rest.
So just take a moment again to be loving with your breathing.
Be generous feeling it.
Just notice can you make it deeper.
Can you give yourself that pause between the exhale and the inhale.
Wherever your thoughts may be going,
Always return to the breathing.
Return to your image of your lungs and your allowing your body to move.
And just enjoy the silence and enjoy your own presence.
If you'd like to stay in this state longer you can just pause the recording.
I'm giving you space now by leaving.
Leaving you with your breathing.
I hope it was helpful and I hope to see you in the next meditation.
Thank you.
