Greetings and welcome to the Why Struggle Podcast.
I'm your host,
Barbara J.
Faison,
And my intention with this podcast is to offer ideas,
Insights,
And inspirations so you can live life better.
Greetings and welcome to 2025 Week 20.
If you are new to the podcast,
Welcome.
And if you listen regularly,
Thank you.
This is a podcast about taking five minutes to be present.
I would say we are back in the business of the busyness of life after the pandemic.
Time is a premium for most of us,
And we all have the ability to make choices about where and how we spend our time.
When I say that I use my voice to heal,
Educate,
And inspire as a voice talent,
Meditation guide,
And trainer,
I usually get a few responses like,
People tell me I have a great voice.
I've always wanted to be a voice actor.
I could never meditate.
I can't stop my mind.
I don't have time to meditate.
I want to learn to meditate.
I just don't know where to start.
Think about a snow globe.
When you shake it up,
Eventually the snow settles to the bottom.
That's what meditation feels like.
The thoughts in your mind begin to settle more and more with practice.
I still have times when my thoughts are swirling around and around,
And other times I feel very settled.
It's still practice,
So I practice daily.
I really tried to do the 30-minute meditation practice.
It didn't work for me.
I started doing 10- to 15-minute meditations where I would sit on my own,
And that worked much better.
Sometimes we just need a place to start.
Let's start where you are.
Breathing is the foundation for a meditation practice.
Meditation starts with a breath.
Try this five-minute breathing practice that can be done anytime,
And it helps with calming your nervous system and being in the moment.
It's a series of breaths.
This is audio only,
Which can help you focus more without having to have your eyes open.
Greetings.
It's Barbara,
Day-Facing Your Meditation Ambassador,
And welcome to this five-minute practice.
This practice is designed to give you a breath practice that you can use anytime during the day.
I am outside,
So let's address the sounds.
I like to be outside in nature because it reminds us that we don't have the ability to control all of the factors of where we are when we choose to be present.
So,
Let the sounds be a part of the backdrop because we are living in today's world,
And there are likely going to be sounds everywhere.
So,
For this practice,
You simply need to be someplace that you can dedicate about five to six minutes.
So,
If you're ready,
Let's begin.
I would like for you to place your hands somewhere on your body,
Minor in my heart space,
Which is right in the center of my chest.
Begin to notice how your body is responding,
And notice your breathing.
Is it shallow?
Is it deep?
Full?
Just become aware.
We're going to do the five-part breath today,
And that is going to be breathing in for five counts,
Breathing out for five counts with no break in the breathing.
It's a continuous breath.
This is a great breath to just settle your body and to help with overall immunity.
So,
I'll do the counting,
And you do the breathing.
We'll breathe in for five and out for five,
And we'll go about 10 to 12 rounds.
So,
Let's get started.
Breathe in two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Breathe in two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Breathe in two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Out four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Now,
Return to your own breathing rate,
Pace,
And rhythm,
And check in with your body.
Notice what your breathing feels like now that you've released the breathing pattern.
How is your body feeling?
Are you feeling more settled or relaxed?
Just check in.
So,
The five-part breath can be used any time during the day,
So I encourage you to find time where you can do this for two to three minutes daily,
To simply check in with yourself,
To calm your nervous system,
And to be fully present.
So,
Thanks for joining me.
Please let me know how you did with the five-minute breathing practice.
Leave a comment where you're listening to this podcast.
