Welcome back to your practice.
Remember,
We're not here to be perfect.
We're here to show up and cast a vote for the person we're becoming.
So take a moment to acknowledge yourself.
You showed up today.
For today's breath work,
Find a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down.
Let your hands rest somewhere easy and comfortable.
If it feels safe for you,
Gently close your eyes,
Or if you prefer,
Soften your gaze.
And just begin by noticing that you are here.
You don't need to fix anything right now.
You don't need to be anywhere,
Do anything,
Or figure anything out.
What would it be like to give yourself permission to simply be here in this moment?
Take a slow breath in through your nose,
And let it go out through your mouth.
Again,
Inhale through the nose,
And exhale through the mouth.
One more time,
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
Allow your breath to settle in to a natural,
Easy rhythm.
No need to control or do anything with it just yet.
Simply notice it.
Notice the sensation of breath in through the nose,
Through the throat,
And into the lungs.
Notice how the chest rises,
And as you exhale,
Falls,
As the breath begins its journey back through the body.
As you breathe,
Notice where your body is making contact with the surface beneath you.
Your feet,
Your legs,
Your hips,
Your back,
Your shoulders,
Your arms,
Your hands,
Your neck,
And your head.
Feel the support beneath you.
Allow yourself to be held.
Now begin to notice any physical sensation in your body.
Maybe you notice an area of warmth or coolness.
Perhaps you feel a tingling or a heaviness.
Is there tightness or spaciousness?
Perhaps you notice a sense of restlessness or even numbness.
That's okay.
All sensation is welcome.
What would it be like to simply notice and allow,
Instead of feeling an obligation to change or ignore?
You're practicing noticing what is here.
Now bring one hand to your abdomen and one hand to your chest,
If that feels comfortable,
And gently begin to deepen your breath.
Can you lengthen the inhale as you draw breath in through your nose?
And can you exhale back through the nose,
Making the exhale just a little bit longer than your inhale?
Again,
Breathe in through the nose,
Full deep breath,
And then exhale all the air,
Making your exhale slightly longer than your inhale.
If it helps you to count,
You may inhale for a count of four and exhale for a count of six.
Allow the sound and sensation of your breath to be your anchor.
If you notice your mind getting distracted,
Totally normal,
Gently guide your attention back to your anchor of breath,
Inhaling and exhaling.
With each exhale,
Let the breath be an invitation to soften,
To settle,
To come down out of the mind and into the body.
As you inhale,
Notice your shoulders.
As you exhale,
Can you soften your shoulders?
As you inhale,
Notice your jaw.
As you exhale,
Can you soften your jaw?
As you inhale,
Notice your belly.
As you exhale,
Can you relax the belly just a bit?
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
With each inhale,
You gather your attention,
And with each exhale,
You release a little bit of tension.
As you breathe,
Scan through the body,
Noticing and softening.
As you exhale,
Notice your forehead,
Your eyes,
Your cheeks,
Your mouth,
Your throat,
Your chest,
Your belly,
Your hips,
Your legs,
Your feet.
What would it be like to simply notice your body as it rests and as you breathe?
If your mind has started to wander again,
That's okay,
That is normal.
Each time you notice,
Gently return to the breath,
Return to the body.
You might silently say to yourself,
Here,
Now,
I am here.
This breath,
This body,
I am here.
Take one more slow inhale through the nose,
And a long steady exhale.
Again,
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
Allow the breath to return to its normal cadence and pattern,
And take a moment to notice what may have shifted for you,
Even just a little.
Maybe you feel calmer,
Maybe you feel more present,
Maybe just a little less scattered,
And that,
My friend,
Is enough.
Take a moment to thank yourself for pausing,
For listening,
For spending time with your body.
When you're ready,
Gently wiggle your fingers and toes,
Begin to softly blink the eyes open,
And carry this experience with you into the rest of your day.
Thank you so much for practicing with me.
I'm Christina,
And I'll see you next time.
