3 Minute Breathing Space Meditation

The Breathing Space is a three-minute meditation that can be used to bring more mindfulness to our normal daily activities. It can be very helpful to practice the breathing space exercise a few times each day.
The Breathing Space has been proven to reduce stress and bring awareness back to the present moment. This tool can also be helpful in responding to stress in adaptive ways.

Transcript

Take a posture that is relaxed,

Dignified and erect,

But not stiff.

Come into the moment and into your body.

Now close your eyes if that feels comfortable to you.

Try to become aware,

Really aware,

Of what is going through your mind.

Try to only notice these thoughts,

Not to judge or intentionally change them.

What feelings are there in the moment?

Again,

We are only noticing them,

Not trying to change them.

Try to turn towards any sense of discomfort or unpleasant feelings.

Don't try to push these out,

Just acknowledge them.

Are there sensations of tension or pain in the body?

We respond to them by saying,

There you are,

That's how it is right now.

Now that you are in the present moment,

You have stepped out of automatic pilot.

We are going to bring our attention to the movement of the breath.

So now we really gather ourselves,

Focusing attention on the movements of the abdomen,

The rise and the fall of the breath.

Focus on the movements of the abdomen wall,

On the feeling of the breath coming and going through your nostrils,

Moment by moment,

Breath by breath,

As best as you can.

Gathering yourself in the moment,

Using the anchor of the breath to really be present.

And now as a third step,

We are going to allow our awareness to expand again.

As well as being aware of the breath,

We include a sense of the body as a whole,

Move into a more spacious awareness.

Feel the body as a whole,

Including any tightness or pain.

Follow the breath as if the whole body is breathing.

Notice any sounds around you,

Any thoughts that may be coming and going through your mind.

Holding it all in the slightly softer,

More spacious awareness.

And then when you are ready,

Just allowing your eyes to open.