3-Minute Breathing Space

This is a short practice that helps one to reconnect to the present moment through direct awareness of the body and the breath. It is a practice you can do anywhere and at any time of the day. There is a bell rung at the end of the practice three times. The practice is adapted from Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy by Segal, Williams, and Teasdale.

Transcript

This practice is called the three minute breathing space.

The breathing space provides a way to step out of automatic pilot mode and reconnect with the present moment.

The thing to remember is to maintain awareness in the present moment,

Nothing else.

Bring yourself into the present moment by deliberately adopting an attentive posture,

If possible,

And if it's comfortable,

You can close the eyes or leave them open.

And then asking yourself,

What is my experience right now?

In thoughts,

What are you saying to yourself?

And in feelings,

In the mind,

Is there a feeling of like,

Dislike,

Neutral,

Upset,

Excited,

Tired or bored?

And noticing sensations in the body,

The actual present moment sensations,

Tightness,

Holding,

Perhaps in the face,

The eyes,

The jaw,

The shoulders or back,

Having an awareness of sounds and temperature,

Acknowledging and registering your experience,

Even if it is unwanted.

Gently redirecting your full attention to breathing,

To each in breath and to each out breath as they follow one after the other.

The breath can function as an anchor to bring you into the present and help you tune into a state of awareness and stillness.

And now expanding the field of your awareness around and beyond your breathing.

So that it includes a sense of the body as a whole,

Your posture and facial expression.

As best as you can bring this expanded awareness to the next moments of your day.