5-Minute Breathing Space

This is a brief guided 5-minute breath meditation to help individuals ground in the present moment. It can be used as a brief practice or a way to reset during the day. Ideal for all levels to train in using the breathing space practice to reduce emotional distress.

Transcript

Beginning this three minute breathing space by deliberately adopting a comfortable and yet dignified posture.

If possible,

Closing your eyes and bringing your awareness to your inner experience.

Asking yourself,

What is my experience right now?

What thoughts are going through the mind?

Simply acknowledging them.

Asking yourself,

What feelings are here?

Turning toward any sense of emotional discomfort or unpleasant feelings and simply acknowledging their presence.

Now leaning in towards sensing what body sensations are here right now.

Scanning the body to pick up any strong sensations and simply pausing to note them.

And now redirecting attention to focus on the physical sensations of your breathing.

Perhaps noticing the sensations of the breath moving in through the nose.

Seeing the sensations in the belly as the breath enters the body and expands and as you release the breath,

The body softens and relaxes.

Following the breath all the way in and all the way out.

Beginning to use the breath as an anchor to this present moment.

Now expanding the field of your awareness from breathing to include the sense of the body as a whole,

Perhaps sensing your posture,

Your facial expressions,

Your limbs.

And if you become aware of any sensations of discomfort,

Tension or resistance,

Move in towards them,

Perhaps breathing in to those places and breathing out from them.

As you breathe in to those places of tension or discomfort,

Bringing the breath and as you breathe out,

Softening and opening,

Relaxing the body and releasing the breath.

You might even say on the out breath,

It's okay,

Whatever's here is already here.

Noticing what you're sensing and feeling with this expanded awareness in the present moment.

With an invitation to bring this expanded awareness into the rest of the moments of your day.