Welcome to the Compassionate Breathing exercise.
This is a deep breathing technique that I use with clients,
Which can be helpful any time you're feeling triggered or upset in any way.
Perhaps feeling stressed or anxious,
Angry,
Hurt,
Lonely,
Or any other emotional state that is difficult for you.
Remember that you can use this technique any time you need it.
If you're on your own you can close your eyes and spend a few minutes just slowing everything down and letting your breath be calming and soothing.
If you're at work,
On the train,
Or some other public place,
You can just remember to subtly shift your posture and take a few deep breaths,
Which will help take the edge off any difficult feelings.
Start by adjusting your posture,
Making sure that your feet are flat and grounded on the floor.
Then let your shoulders gently roll back so your chest feels spacious and open.
Now lengthen your spine.
Sit upright but relaxed with your head,
Neck,
And spine in alignment.
Imagine an invisible piece of string attached to the top of your head,
Pulling you gently upright.
Sitting in this position can help you feel grounded,
Alert,
And stronger in your core.
There is a great deal of research at the moment on the feedback loop between your posture and emotions,
So just a simple adjustment in posture can help you feel a bit more energized and stronger.
With a subtle but noticeable uplift in your energy and mood.
Now let your breathing become slower and deeper,
Moving into compassionate breathing.
Close your eyes,
Take deep breaths,
And let your body feel more relaxed and relaxed.
Close your eyes,
Take deep slow breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Your breath should be roughly four seconds in,
Four seconds out.
Imagine that your abdomen is like a balloon,
Inflating on the in-breath and deflating on the out-breath.
Keep breathing,
Letting the breath be calming,
Grounding,
And nourishing for you.
Notice everything slowing down,
Mind and thoughts slowing down,
Heart rate,
Cardiovascular systems slowing down,
Nervous systems slowing down,
Body slowing down.
Let your muscles start to relax,
Releasing any tension you might be holding in your body.
Keep breathing,
Checking in with your posture to see if you've slumped a little.
If so,
Gently straighten your spine again.
And remember to let your abdomen rise and fall with each in-breath and out-breath.
As you're breathing,
Notice how you're feeling.
Hopefully a bit calmer,
A bit more relaxed,
A bit more peaceful.
And if so,
Mindfully focus on those feelings in your body.
You might notice some warmth or openness in your chest,
Perhaps a lightness in your shoulders and neck.
These feelings might be quite subtle or they may not be there at all,
Which is perfectly fine.
But if you do notice any positive feelings,
Spend a few moments focusing on them,
Enjoying them,
Letting these enjoyable feelings and sensations soak into your body.
And then when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
