Welcome everyone.
Let's do this meditation or this sitting with ourselves based around the breath.
So if you're comfortable to do so you can close your eyes or if you'd rather keep your eyes open that's fine but just soften your gaze or turn your eyes downwards.
The idea is to reduce the visual stimulus just to assist you in that walking inwards,
That walking towards yourself.
So let's just start by noticing the breath.
Just become aware as the breath comes in and goes out.
We're going to do some timed breathing in a little bit but just for now just notice your breath.
Well done.
And if it helps you can imagine the tide coming back and forth.
You can imagine yourself standing on the tide line and your breathing just comes in and goes out just like the tide.
So let's do some even breathing together now and with this breath you can just allow it to fill up your lungs,
You can allow it to do that and if you're drawn to you can imagine the breath or sense the energy on the breath going all the way down to your lower stomach and if you know three-part breath,
If you know Durga breath then you could breathe with that pattern.
But if you don't know that then the worry is just allow your breath to come into the lungs and you can imagine it going all the way down to your lower tummy.
So we're going to start and we're just going to breathe evenly in and out for a count of four just for a minute or so.
So let's everyone take a big breath in to start and exhale ready to begin.
So inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Inhale two,
Three,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Well done.
Just allow your breath to keep on at that even rate and as part of you focuses on that breath and that internal counting just allow another part of you to check how your body is doing.
Which bits of you are you more aware of or less aware of?
Which bits of you might feel achy or heavy?
Which bits feel at peace or energized?
Let's just notice all of that and just allow your breath to remain steady and even.
And now I'm going to invite you in a few moments to change that pattern of breathing.
I want you to imagine an oval racetrack and the straight parts of this racetrack are the in-breath and the out-breath and that gentle curve from one straight inhale to the straight of the exhale,
That gentle curve we're going to hold our breath and all of these are great techniques that you can use yourself if you're out and about feeling overwhelmed at any point or anxious.
You can use these breathing techniques to give you somewhere to stand,
It gives you a foundation to stand and meet whatever it is that is making you feel anxious or overwhelmed.
So let's all just take a deep breath in to start and exhale ready to begin.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Exhale exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Inhale two,
Three,
Hold two,
Three,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Inhale two,
Three,
Hold two,
Three,
Exhale two,
Three,
Two,
Three,
Inhale two,
Three,
Hold two,
Three,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Inhale two,
Three,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Hold two,
Three and just allow your breathing to to return to normal and just notice your body again.
How did it respond to that invitation for the stillness of the hold?
Was it easier on the inhale or the exhale?
Just notice all these things and just bring your awareness back to the breath,
Bring it fully back to the breath.
Notice your chest rising and falling and let's imagine that we're standing on that water's edge.
Let's imagine it's a warm sunny day but there's a cool breeze so we don't feel too hot.
We stand on this water's edge and we just notice the tide coming in and going out and in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out and in and out and just settling into your body,
Allowing that tidal breath to allow you to be in your body,
Just feeling the gentleness of the waves as they come and go,
Feeling the softness of the sand under your feet as you're standing at the water's edge,
Feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin and the freshness of the breeze,
Just allowing all these elements to nurture you,
Support you,
To give you a solid place to stand to meet your challenges,
Your opportunities,
The predicament of your life.
It's going to be time to leave this space in but know for yourself that you can use these simple techniques,
Whether it's simply counting the breath in or out or counting in and holding,
Counting out and holding or perhaps you're drawn to come back to this space at the beach.
You can do this for yourselves at any time.
You could be sitting at your desk or on the bus or standing waiting for the kettle to boil and just using these techniques starts to build up an inner security,
An inner sense of solid foundation where you can meet whatever life might be chucking at you.
Just take one or two big deep breaths,
Come out of this space,
Come out of your time at the beach,
Inhaling fully,
Exhale with a soft sigh,
Inhale fully,
Exhale with a soft sigh and whenever you're ready you can open your eyes.
Well done.
