Hello,
I'm Alison,
And for over 15 years,
I've been teaching inner practices that enhance our lives.
And one of my personal favorite practices is the breath practice of belly breathing.
Soft,
Slow belly breathing.
I actually do this at the beginning of every day for several minutes,
And it changes the kind of day I have.
The wonderful thing about finding a way of breathing that helps us is that we're always breathing,
And breath is portable,
And air is always abundantly available to us.
And so in sometimes those unsteady or difficult moments of our day,
We have something right inside of us that's there to support us.
Soft belly breathing softens and slows our system.
It makes life feel softer and that bit slower.
And sometimes softening and slowing is just what we need,
But it's something that's hard to access because our minds get hooked onto that emergency button.
So much to do,
So much to think about.
Time is running out.
Too many difficult things to navigate.
And when you're having those sorts of feelings and your body's bracing and your heart's racing,
That's exactly the time to bring in a body-based practice that only takes a few moment and shifts you.
Dials that emergency button right down.
Moves you out of an anxious nervous system into one that is more peaceful.
And feels more capable.
Belly breathing is a deeper breathing technique that engages our diaphragm rather than just our chest.
When we're anxious or in a hurry we often just breathe from our chest.
But our diaphragm is our whole breathing apparatus and it goes right down into our belly.
So when we breathe this way,
It's the kind of way we breathe maybe when you're on holiday,
You're deeply relaxed,
You're falling into a nap.
You've got that lovely humming feeling in your body when you're with people or in places that make you feel calm.
Peaceful,
You're enjoying life.
That kind of breath is the full body belly breath.
And what happens when we breathe that way is we're maximizing oxygen intake,
Calming our nervous system,
Lowering stress hormones,
And stabilizing our core,
Which is really good for those problems of an achy lower back or digestion problems,
You know,
That knot in our belly that can give us problems with digesting our food.
And it's tremendous for bringing space around thoughts and feelings.
It doesn't push them away,
It gives them a more spacious and safe container.
I use it in spaces in my daily life when I begin to feel stress rising or when I'm overwhelmed.
So let's practice it together now.
Remember that this isn't a performance we're doing,
It's a kindness we're offering ourselves and there's no getting this right or wrong.
We're not forcing ourselves to breathe this way.
We're letting our body begin to feel this breath and I'll guide us through it.
So first of all,
Just make sure you're comfortable in your seat.
Maybe sitting in a chair with your feet on the ground so you feel really supported.
Or maybe you're lying down so your whole spine is supported.
And can release anything it's carrying.
And then it can be helpful if you place a hand on your chest.
And take your other beautiful hand to your belly.
And you're just breathing in and out.
Softening.
To soften down the muscles of your face.
Your eyes could be closed,
But they could be softly open.
Relaxing your jaw and letting your tongue go.
Let your shoulders relax away from your ears.
And soften your belly instead of holding it in.
See if you can let it be floppy.
And as you're breathing,
Be aware underneath your hands of your chest and your belly rising.
And falling.
There's nothing to fix.
You're just feeling.
That swelling as you breathe in and that emptying.
You breathe out.
Soft,
Soft body.
Soft,
Soft breath.
You're not trying to make this happen.
You're allowing breath to fall down into your belly.
As if the air could reach your hand there.
And if it still feels a little tight,
That's okay.
Offering this helps loosen even a little.
So just be with what's here kindly.
For another moment.
Softly breathing in and out,
Letting soft breath fall down into your soft belly.
And rise softly up again into your chest.
Anything else that's happening?
Thoughts,
Feelings,
Let them be here.
The container is spacious and soft and kind.
Feel your breath moving.
Your belly and your chest receiving.
And letting go.
And then just finishing here,
Letting all of that go.
Just feeling your breath is natural.
And just notice,
Get curious as you feel yourself on the inside and what's happening.
Inside your body,
Does anything feel a little softer?
Lighter.
Or more spacious.
Inside your mind.
Does anything feel a little calmer or gentler?
May this soft belly,
This gentle breath be your reminder.
That you can step off the emergency button and return to a kinder,
More peaceful body and a kinder,
More peaceful way of being with yourself.
If you're ready to come back.
Do so with a smile on your face,
Thanking yourself for this time.
And that you have in your pocket now.
This magic belly breath.
Bring to you in micro pauses during your day whenever you like and whenever needed.
Thank you for practicing with me and until next time,
Bye for now.
