Welcome.
Find a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down.
If it feels safe to do so,
Gently close your eyes or lower your gaze.
Notice the surface beneath you.
Allow your shoulders to drop and your jaw to soften.
Take a moment to simply notice your natural breath.
There is nothing to change just yet.
Today,
We will be doing a breathing pattern called the physiological sigh.
It's simple.
We take two gentle inhales through the nose,
Followed by a long,
Steady exhale through the mouth.
The first of these inhales fills the belly,
Ribs,
And upper chest,
And once it feels full,
We take a second top-up inhale,
Before exhaling slowly through pursed lips.
While we breathe fully,
This breath is not stretched or forced,
Rather gentle and nourishing.
This breath is designed to release tension and stress and downregulate the nervous system.
Exhale everything that is in your lungs,
Before slowly beginning to inhale through the nose,
Filling up the belly,
Ribs,
Upper chest,
Until you feel full.
Take a short top-up inhale,
And then slowly through the mouth,
Exhale through pursed lips.
Slow down your exhale as much as you can.
Notice how your body feels after just one of these physiological sighs.
When you're ready,
Let's begin our next breath.
Inhale slowly through your nose,
Take a second small sip of air in,
Now exhale through your mouth.
Again inhale through your nose,
Small top-up at the top,
Long exhale through your mouth.
Continue with this pattern of breathing.
You might like to take a short pause in between each breath,
Or cycle through straight away.
Inhale,
Top-up,
Exhale.
As you continue to breathe,
Notice what happens in your body.
Notice if as you breathe you hold any tension or stiffness.
As you exhale,
Allow this tension to soften.
You might feel your shoulders drop,
Your jaw soften.
This is your nervous system settling.
Inhale,
Top-up,
Exhale slowly.
There is no need to force the breath to be big,
Keep it comfortable but spacious.
Inhale through your nose,
Small top-up at the top,
Long steady exhale.
If your mind drifts away,
Gently return to the pattern,
Inhale,
Top-up,
Exhale.
Continue at your own steady rhythm.
Notice if the exhale naturally lengthens over time.
Notice too any subtle shifts in temperature,
Muscle tension and mood.
Nothing dramatic needs to happen.
This is simply a small reset for your nervous system.
Continue for a few more rounds.
Inhale,
Top-up,
Exhale.
Now gently allow the breathing pattern to come to an end.
Let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
Let go of any need to control.
Simply allow yourself to notice how your body feels in this moment.
Notice the quality of your breath.
Take one final breath in through the nose and let it out with a gentle sigh through the mouth.
You can stay here for as long as you need,
Allowing your nervous system to rest.
Thank you for being here.
Have a beautiful day.
