Hello and welcome.
I'm Carolyn Ann Budgell and I'm joining you from my home in beautiful British Columbia,
Canada today to share with you a simple breathing exercise to help you find more ground,
To help you land into the moment and into yourself with more ease and presence.
I know that many of you have been on this journey on Insight Timer with me for quite some time and many of you already realize the profound power that just one breath can sometimes have.
So why don't we get right into it.
You're welcome to sit comfortably,
Maybe like me,
On the floor on a cushion or perhaps sit on a chair or you're welcome to lie down on your back.
Settling in,
Perhaps closing down your eyelids,
Beginning with a long breath in through your nose and opening your mouth,
Letting it out,
Softening the day that you've just come from.
Again,
Breathing in through your nose or really letting it out.
Big sweeping breath.
And as you exhale,
Notice your neck muscles,
Your shoulders releasing.
One more time to really settle,
Breathing in,
Fully letting go.
If it supports you in listening inward a little more closely and a little more tenderly,
I invite you to place a palm on your upper chest,
Making this U-turn back towards you,
Towards your heart.
And your breath is always a wonderful ally in supporting this U-turn,
This reconnection,
This homecoming.
Noticing right now if your breath is long or if it's short.
Maybe it's been a while since you've paused to be with your breath.
You don't have to force yourself to become more present,
To come home.
Instead,
We will gently guide the breath.
I'd love to guide us now through a simple breath practice.
It's a four-count inhale,
A five-count hold,
And a six-count exhale through pursed lips,
Really slowing the exhale.
This is an opportunity to reprogram how we deal with this minor stress,
Letting the body stay soft as we hold.
Give yourself two really full,
Sweet breaths.
Notice if there's anything that wants to let go and relax just a little bit more.
And after you've taken an exhalation,
Let's begin.
Through your nose,
Inhale for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Through pursed lips,
Exhale six,
Five,
Three,
Two,
One.
Good.
Inhale for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Pause at the top for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Through the mouth,
Exhale six,
Five,
Keep going,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Again,
Through the nose,
Inhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold at the top for five.
Through pursed lips,
Exhale for six.
Let's try again.
Inhale for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Holding for five.
Let the body stay soft,
Soft jaw.
Exhale for six.
Two more rounds.
Inhale four,
Two,
One.
Pause for five.
Slowly breathing out for six.
I'll guide one more.
Inhale for four.
Hold for five,
Feeling the spaciousness inside you.
Exhale for six.
Inhale for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Pause at the top for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Through the mouth,
Exhale six,
Five,
Keep going,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And now try one round on your own,
Counting to yourself.
Whenever you're complete,
Just return to your own breath,
Maybe taking a breath in through the nose,
Out through the mouth,
Or breathing in and out of your nostrils.
Let it be.
Let that practice be what it was.
Now just allowing the steady stream of your breath to naturally flow through your body.
Flow in and flow out.
You're coming back home to yourself with every mindful breath.
You're coming home.
Allow thinking to dissolve into feeling.
Feeling every breath coming and going.
Feeling whatever's here for you without judgment.
Spending another minute or so here.
Is there anything showing up within that could use a little more gentleness,
A little forgiveness?
And is it easier to access that gentleness thanks to reconnecting to your breath?
Whenever you're feeling complete and finished,
You could start to rub your palms together with me,
Just lighting up that soothing mechanism.
Place your palms anywhere on your body.
Offering your body a thank you,
Offering your breath a thank you.
And offering this great capacity that you have to make this U-turn.
When you feel comparisons pulling you away,
When you feel doubts or fears pulling you away from your wisdom,
It's often just one breath that can bring us back again.
Deep thanks for this capacity.
Take time to flicker your eyes open and to come back.
As always,
I'm so grateful that I get to share this space with you and that I get to share my favorite practices,
My favorite tools that have supported me in navigating grief and stress and overwhelm so that I can be more fully here for this life.
I'm so grateful to be able to share these tools with you.
Thank you for being in this space with me.
And I hope to practice with you again soon.
