Hello and welcome to this meditation.
In this practice,
We are going to use the power of box breathing to bring the mind and body to a calm,
Centered state of homeostasis.
Box breathing has proven to be an effective way to reduce stress and improve your mood,
Making it a valuable tool in treating anxiety.
So I invite you to find a comfortable seated position,
Ensuring that the back is straight and that the head is alert.
Give yourself permission to set aside any busy or hectic thoughts that may be going through your mind right now.
You may briefly visualize yourself storing these thoughts away in a box,
Making sure each and every last one is stored away before closing this box and putting it up on a high shelf and walking away from the box.
You can come back for this box at the end of this practice if you need to.
For now,
Just allow yourself to become settled and present in your position.
Take three deep,
Steady breaths to fully arrive in your body in this moment.
Breathing through the nose,
Exhaling out of the mouth,
Sending a signal to the mind and body that it is time to let go and release.
If any of those pesky thoughts start to sneak back in,
Just allow yourself to recognize them.
Recognize them as something completely natural.
We all have thoughts.
Just allow yourself to release these thoughts and return the focus to your breath,
To the sensation of the body filling and deflating,
To the powerful mind-body connection of the breath.
We're going to start with our box breathing now.
To start,
Use the strength of your diaphragm,
A muscle at the base of your sternum or rib cage,
To inhale through your nose.
At the top of the inhale,
Hold the breath for a count of four and then exhale out of the nose for a count of four,
Feeling the breath drain from your body.
At the bottom of the exhale,
Hold for a count of four and then we start again,
Inhaling through the nose,
Feeling the air rush into your chest,
Holding for four at the top of the inhale and then exhaling slowly,
Releasing any tension from the body,
Pausing at the bottom of the exhale for a count of four and then once again inhaling for four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Holding for four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Exhaling for four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Holding at the bottom for four,
Three,
Two,
One and inhaling for four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Holding for four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Exhaling for four,
Three,
Two,
One and holding here for four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Inhaling for four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Holding for four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Inhaling for four,
Three,
Two,
One and holding for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Great job.
Allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Before opening your eyes and coming out of this meditation,
Send your awareness down into your body and take notice of how different you feel now.
And what about your mind?
How clear and calm is your mind in comparison to before?
I encourage you to use this breath throughout your day whenever you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed by those busy thoughts.
This concludes our meditation.
I hope you have a great and peaceful day.
