Take an intentional,
Comfortable posture and allow your lungs to empty the breath fully,
Taking a few slow breaths in and out.
And then allow your breath to become natural.
This is a simple breath awareness exercise.
With your eyes closed if you feel comfortable or soft gaze ahead,
Shift your awareness to your breath.
Notice are your breaths long or short,
Even or staggered.
Usually the out breath is a little bit longer than the in breath naturally.
Observe what parts of your chest,
Stomach,
Torso area and back body are moving with each inhale and each exhale.
Place a hand on your belly area and notice whether you can feel your abdomen expanding,
Rising on the in breath and relaxing and contracting on the out breath without trying to force it.
Just noticing how your breath moves each cycle on its own.
As best you can,
Noticing each new breath as it happens.
As you inhale,
Notice that you are inhaling.
Notice the small pause and then as you exhale,
Just noticing and saying exhaling.
Continue to focus again and again on each breath cycle.
And if your focus shifts away,
Gently bring it back to your breathing.
Noticing the breath entering the body.
Noticing the breath exiting the body.
Notice the breath entering the airway through the nose or the mouth to the throat,
Filling the lungs with the inhale.
And notice the breath leave the body from the lungs up the throat and out the nose or the mouth with the exhale.
Notice the quality of each breath,
Bringing a curiosity and observing.
Was that jagged or smooth?
Short or longer?
Shallow or deep?
Does it feel rushed and pressured?
Or is it feeling slow and steady?
Can you hear the breath?
What does it sound like in your body?
Noticing if the speed of the breath is speeding up or slowing down or changing back and forth.
Without trying to make it do anything,
Just noticing each breath as a new and completely unique cycle.
Choosing where to observe the breath,
Noticing through the nose.
Maybe you can feel the nose hairs moving with the inhalation and the exhalation.
You can notice the temperature of the air as it comes in and as it leaves.
Or choosing to notice in the rib cage or the belly or the shoulder blades.
The lifting and expanding with the inhale.
And the falling,
Contracting,
Softening with the exhale.
And then as we close this breath awareness,
Thanking yourself for paying attention in this way.
Knowing you can always return to watching,
Quietly observing your breath.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes and allow your focus to shift back to your surroundings as you choose to bring this sense of peace into the next part of your day.
