Hello,
My name is Chantelle Walker,
A registered psychologist in Alberta and Saskatchewan,
And I'm pleased to offer you Awareness of Breathing.
So I'm going to invite you to adopt an erect,
Dignified and comfortable posture.
If you're sitting on a chair,
It may be helpful to place your feet flat on the floor with your legs uncrossed,
Gently closing your eyes if that feels okay or lowering your gaze.
And then bringing your awareness to the level of physical sensations by focusing your attention on the sensation of touch and pressure in your body where it's making contact with the floor or whatever you're sitting on.
Spending a few moments to explore these sensations and ground as best you can into this moment,
Bringing your attention here.
As best you can,
Letting go of any to-do lists and any concerns about the past and just be in this moment,
Giving yourself permission to spend these next 10 minutes being aware of your breathing.
Now turning your attention to the sensations of breathing wherever they're most vivid,
Perhaps at the nostrils,
The chest,
Or the level of the belly,
And letting your attention rest lightly here.
No need to do anything or change your breathing,
Simply observe what it feels like to breathe.
Becoming curious about your breathing and developing a kind of affectionate relationship towards your experience of breathing.
There is no right or wrong here.
There's simply being with your experience wherever you've chosen to bring your attention to the level of breathing in your body,
Being aware as best you can to whatever you're experiencing.
You might be noticing that the air feels slightly cool and dry in your nostrils as you breathe in and perhaps slightly warmer as you breathe out,
Noticing a difference if there is a difference.
Remembering there's no right or wrong way to be with breathing.
There's only your experience in this moment.
Staying with the movement of the body as you breathe in and out at your chosen focus as best you can.
You may be noticing the belly rise and fall as you breathe in and out.
Perhaps placing a hand on your belly if this helps gather and draw your attention in closer.
Abdomen rising,
Abdomen falling.
No need to analyze or judge your breathing.
The whole idea is to simply be with sensations as they arise as you breathe in and out naturally and effortlessly.
No need to change anything.
You're not trying to breathe in any kind of particular way.
The whole idea here is to take the pressure off,
To just bring to awareness what you notice in this moment of your breath in the body,
However that feels.
The lungs expand and then deflate due to their elasticity as you breathe out.
Breathe in.
Breathing out and breathing in.
Now you may be noticing that your attention has wandered away from paying attention to your breathing.
And if this happens,
Just know that this is what our minds do and gently and kindly returning your attention back to the sensations of breathing without judging yourself.
Trying to be as accepting as best you can of wandering attention and just bring yourself back,
Letting your attention rest lightly with your breath,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Letting your breath do whatever it does and making room for it,
Being with it just as it is in this moment.
When the attention wanders,
Seeing if you can gently and kindly bring it back to the feeling of the breath in the body.
No need for judgment or harshness.
Learning the skill of being at ease moment by moment in your body.
Sitting here in silence and in stillness,
Bringing a gentle,
Patient awareness to the breath,
Accepting it as it is.
Staying present in this way,
You're allowing the breath to be an anchor in the present moment,
Ever changing,
Ever present.
Bringing attention to the inhalation,
The pause at the top of the inhalation,
The exhalation,
The pause at the bottom of the exhalation,
Over and over again.
You're opening up to what is in this moment,
Not the kind of breath you had before,
The kind of breath you would like to have,
But that the breath you have right here,
Right now,
As you breathe in the air around you,
Breathing out the air moves around you,
Making room for the breath,
Opening and receiving.
And again,
If your mind has wandered,
Just know that that is what minds do.
And then gently and kindly bring your attention back to the sensations of breathing as they are making themselves known to you in this moment.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Letting the breath do whatever it does,
Making room for it.
Breathing,
Being with it just as it is in this moment.
Now,
Knowing that you can use this practice at any time in the day,
You can use your breath as an anchor to the present moment.
And a few moments will come to the end of this practice.
And now I'd like to invite you to open your eyes if they've been closed.
Thank you,
And I hope you have a wonderful day.
