3-Step Breathing Space (with Background Music)

The 3-Step Breathing Space is a short and simple guided meditation that allows you to pause and check in with how you are feeling (physically, mentally, emotionally) during a busy day. It's an opportunity to take a few minutes out for yourself, to focus on your wellbeing. This practice is accessible and available to you anytime, anywhere.
It typically takes about 3 minutes to complete the practice, but if you're in a hurry, you could spend 10 seconds on each step, instead of 1 minute. Equally, if you have more time to spare, you can extend the meditation to spend as long as you need on each step.
This guided meditation includes background music. If you prefer silence in the background, please choose my 3-Step Breathing Space for Pausing and Noticing instead.
Photo by Yunus Tuğ on Unsplash / Music stock from Descript (Luminance II).

Transcript

The three-step breathing space. This is a simple practice you can do anytime, Anywhere to check in with yourself. Take a moment to settle into a posture that is comfortable for you. Perhaps you prefer standing or maybe you're sitting or lying down. I'll guide this meditation as if you're sitting. Choose an alert posture, Noticing your feet grounded on the floor. Feeling the weight of your body on the chair or the surface beneath you. And if it feels comfortable for you, Closing your eyes or gently gazing down into your lap. Step 1. Taking a moment to notice how you're really feeling right now. Tuning in to the sensations of your body. What do you notice? Is there any tension or discomfort? Are there any pleasant sensations? Or perhaps you don't notice anything, And that's okay. Noticing any feelings, Emotions or thoughts. Simply noticing what is there, No need to pass judgement or change anything. Just checking in with yourself. Step 2. Now taking your attention to your breath. Noticing the sensations as you inhale and as you exhale. Where do you feel the breath? Perhaps noticing the rise and fall of your shoulders as you breathe in and breathe out. May be noticing the expansion and subsiding of the ribcage with the inhale and the exhale. Or perhaps feeling the swelling and subsiding of your belly as you breathe. Maybe you feel the subtle movements of the breath. In the front, The sides and the back of the body. Just focusing on your breathing as it is in this moment. Noticing this breath. And this breath. Step 3 now expanding your attention. Noticing the space around your body. In front of your body. Behind your body. And to the sides. Gently expanding your attention beyond your body. Perhaps noticing signs or smells around you. Noticing the light on your face. Perhaps feeling the air around you and noticing the temperature on your skin. If you have your eyes closed, Gently blinking them open as you return to the space you're in. And as we bring this practice to a close, I invite you to take this increased awareness into the rest of your day.