Affectionate Breathing

This brief version of affectionate breathing practice is taken from the work of Dr. Chris Germer and Dr. Kristin Neff as the first core meditation in the Mindful Self-Compassion 8-week evidenced-based program. This practice helps to calm the mind through focused attention and allows practitioners to let themselves be soothed by the breath and access sensory-based portals to anchor themselves.

Transcript

Please arrange your body in a posture that allows you to feel comfortable yet alert.

You may want to consider a half smile as well to promote contentment inside and out.

If you like,

Placing a hand over your heart or another soothing location is a reminder that we're bringing awareness not only to ourselves but to the experience of ourselves affectionately,

Tenderly.

Take a few slow easy gentle breaths,

Releasing any unnecessary tension in your body and beginning to notice breathing in and breathing out naturally with your own authentic rhythm,

Not trying to breathe a certain way rather allowing your life force to be exactly as it is here and now and noticing how each in-breath nourishes you from the top of your head to the tip of your toes.

There may be a color that you associate with nourishment or a sound,

A taste,

A smell or a feeling.

Let that accompany your experience with your in-breath and then notice the exhalation is an opportunity for relaxation and renewal,

Releasing.

The breath is much like waves on the ocean as it comes in nourishing us,

Filling us like a wave as it swells and peaks.

You might even feel something like a hug with full lungs and then as the exhalation begins our body begins to flatten just like the wave on the shore as it breaks and noticing how your body gently rocks while there is a feeling of caress with each breath cycle,

Inclining your attention with such care and tenderness for this breath the same way you naturally feel toward anyone that you love and anytime your mind wanders which it will sooner or later that's the magic moment to bring it back to your anchor which might be your breath it might be the movement the feeling the sound the color whatever sensory portal is easiest for you to access keep coming back with the mind gently hospitably welcoming each breath being breath and this is available to you at any moment simply by pausing and checking in with your breath coming in nourishing and going out relaxing anchoring you to the present moment exactly as you are here and now thank yourself for taking the time to practice nourishing and nurturing your whole being with your breath that's always available enjoy