Breathing Space

When negative thought patterns arise, aiming to pull you down into a rollercoaster of emotional reactivity, this 3-step practice can be very useful. By deliberately slowing down and fully embracing the present moment, while cultivating acceptance and curiosity, this exercise can assist you in responding more adeptly to challenging circumstances.

Transcript

Taking a breathing space.

Beginning by making a definite change to your posture so that you're sitting or standing with a sense of being grounded and awake.

A sense of dignity.

Allowing the eyes to close if that feels okay for you.

Step one.

Becoming aware of what's here right now as best you can.

Noticing any sensations in the body.

Noticing moods and feelings.

Noticing any thoughts and bringing interest to whatever you find.

Not needing to change anything.

Just simply recognizing and acknowledging what's here.

You might even want to silently put what you notice into words.

Ah,

Here's some worry.

Here's some tightness in the shoulders.

There's no need for things to be any particular way.

Seeing if it's possible to observe with interest whatever is here.

Now moving on to step two.

Narrowing the focus of attention down to rest on an anchor point.

Wherever feels steadying and anchoring for you right now.

This might be sensations in the body as you breathe in and out or perhaps feeling into the feet or the hands or the contact with the seat or something else maybe sounds.

Wherever feels right for you right now and moving in close to sensations here.

Perhaps seeing how it is to move in close to the sensations of breathing following the full length of the in-breath and the full length of the out-breath and any turning points between the in-breath and the out-breath.

And if your anchor is somewhere else noticing any sensations here.

Maybe pressure,

Warmth,

Coolness,

Tightness,

Softness or something else.

Just noticing any and all sensations and if the mind wanders noticing where it's gone and gently guiding it back to this anchor point.

Sensations here.

Then moving to step three.

Slowly expanding the awareness to notice the body as a whole.

Sitting,

Standing or lying down.

Noticing the whole body from the top of the head through the arms,

The torso,

The legs and down to the feet.

Bringing awareness to the whole of the body.

Allowing the eyes to open if they've been closed and as best you can bringing this sense of awareness,

This openness to the next few moments of the day.