Affectionate Breathing Practice

The audio track transitions from awareness of the physical body to an exploration of internal thoughts and presence. Over the course of the session, the narrator gently guides listeners through grounding breathing patterns, prompting a focus on bodily sensations, and releasing physical tension. It encourages cultivating a baseline of inner kindness and self-compassion while introducing small gestures, such as a subtle smile, to shift emotional states.

Transcript

So this is an affectionate breathing practice. So feel free to keep your eyes open or to soften your gaze. Let's just arrive here in the moment. Just knowing where you are in your space, In your room. Sitting on the chair. And just allowing everything to just settle however your weekend's been. Just really. . . Allowing everything to just come to this moment. Together So just sensing into your body on the chair. And how that feels right now. You might want to give it a word label. Just allowing everything to just settle in even more. You might want to move yourselves around a little bit just to settle in there. Now feeling your feet on the floor. Maybe connecting with your socks or. . . Slippers, Shoes. Just feeling those sensations on your feet. Just knowing that the floor then connects with the foundations and below the earth. All connected through that. And now. . . Just focusing on your breath. Not trying to change it in any way. Just noticing it coming in. Noticing it coming out. And just feel where you can feel it the most. Maybe the rise and fall of your chest. Or the expansion inside your body. Just noticing that air coming in. I'm going out. And now just to let any tension go. I'm just going to take three bigger breaths, Whatever's comfortable for you. So we're just taking in more air than a normal breath. And then really releasing the tension on the out-breath. You might want to even do a little sigh, You're all on mute so I can't hear you. And just with the last breath, Just allowing your jaw to relax and all the muscles in your face. And just noticing. Where your hands are at the moment. You can feel kind of cool on the woods. Just sensing into your hands. And how they're feeling. And now your upper body. Just breathing. I'm just setting the intention. To bring kindness and affection. To yourself throughout this meditation. As if you're breathing in kindness and affection for yourself. Bringing it to your mind, Your body. Might be certain areas that you feel need it the most. If that feels a bit tricky. Just you might want to kind of imagine somebody who you really love kind of sending you that kindness and affection. So you're just breathing it in. For yourself. When your mind wanders, Which of course it will, Maybe many, Many times, Just really bringing it back with kindness. Just acknowledging. Where it's gone and then just bringing it back. To your breath. Just breathing in. That kindness and that affection. You might want to ask yourself what you need in this moment to feel supported. Where maybe? And I invite you to put your hands or hands onto a part of your body that maybe might need some extra support. I like to put my hands over my my heart You can leave them there for as long as you like or for the rest of the meditation. I'm just feeling. The warmth. From your hands. Just coming into your body. Feeling how that might change. The sensations. Or you can just continue. Breathing in. That affection. And that kindness. Is it all deserving of compassion? Love. We're all suffering in different ways. We're just allowing that. To just land in your body. I'm just feeling how that feels. Maybe softening some of the stresses. Of the day or the last few days. As if that's through your breath. Or through the warmth of your hands. Giving yourself kindness. You might want to Just allow the corners of your mouth. Just to turn up slightly. A little half smile. Just feeling. How that might change. The sensations in your body. There's research to show that You know, We smile when we're happy, But also if we smile it can make us happy with the muscles in our mouth and then how that impacts our brain. Just allowing your body To smile. Breathing in that warmth and kindness. Feeling that soothing nature of the breath. Having an appreciation. With the breath, It keeps us alive. We don't have to think about it. All day, All night. Actually when we tune into it, We can really enjoy it. You can feel really nourishing. You can breathe in different ways. Calm ourselves. Energize ourselves. Now we're just going to switch it up a little bit. So we're going to breathe in. Kindness and affection for ourselves. And then we're going to breathe out kindness and affection for others. Sharing that warmth and love. B4. The people in your family, Your house. Each other who are here tonight so we could all do with a extra dose of warmth and affection. So breathing in for yourself. And breathing out. For others. And while you're just here, I'm just going to read you. A lovely poem. That's called Paradox of Noise. It is a paradox that we encounter so much internal noise when we first try to sit in silence. It is a paradox that experiencing pain releases pain. It is a paradox that keeping still can lead us so fully into life and being. Our minds do not like paradoxes. We want things to be clear so we can maintain our illusions of safety. Certainty breeds tremendous smugness. We each possess a deeper level of being, However, Which loves a paradox. It knows that summer is already growing like a seed in the depth of winter. It knows that the moment we're born, We begin to die. It knows that all of life shimmers in shades of becoming. That shadow and light are always together. The visible mingled with the invisible. When we sit in stillness, We are profoundly active. Keeping silent, We hear the roar of existence. Through our willingness to be the one we are. We become one with everything. So we're just going to keep focusing on your breath for a few more seconds. Again, Breathing in that warmth and kindness and affection for ourselves. And then breathing out for others. And just letting go of any focus with that. And just sensing how the body feels right now in this moment. Perhaps you can feel some areas more than others. Try expanding your awareness to encompass your whole body. The top of your head and then your shoulders down to your fingertips. Then all down your body, Your legs to your feet and your toes. It's one ball of energy. We're spending our lives. Just feeling how that feels now. And then just tuning back into those sensations of sitting on the chair. And your feet on the floor. Just taking a few more conscious breaths in, Feeling that nourishing, Kind breath. Coming in. And then that calming breath, Leaving your body. And just coming back when you feel ready.