Hello and welcome to this meditation.
We're going to work on diaphragmatic or belly breathing.
So find a place where you won't be disturbed and a position that feels comfortable.
Whether it's sitting,
Lying down,
Whatever works for you right now.
Just let yourself arrive here in the present moment.
Slowing down and letting go of anything that you need to do today.
Letting go for just a few minutes of all the things you're trying to keep up with.
Be in this moment by placing one hand on your chest and the other hand on your belly.
These are just going to help you notice where your breath is right now.
Take a few natural breaths,
Not forcing anything.
Just noticing the movement of the body as you breathe in and breathe out.
Is your chest moving?
Your belly and abdomen?
Both?
Does your breath feel pressured or rushed?
Does it feel natural and at ease?
There's no right or wrong here.
It's just to be aware of the state of your breath right now.
As you do that check in,
You may happen to notice your breath is higher up in the chest.
Or that you're carrying tension somewhere in your body.
So for the remainder of this practice,
We're going to use the breath to gently shift that.
On your next breath in,
Breathe slowly through your nose.
Working to breathe with the diaphragm and have your belly rise.
Notice the hand on your belly and let it move outward as you inhale.
And gently exhale through your mouth.
Let the belly soften and fall inward.
Letting go of tension where you need to.
And seeing if you can have the hand on your chest stay fairly still.
Let's do that again.
Inhale slowly through your nose,
Belly expanding,
Filling with air.
Exhale through your mouth,
Belly releasing.
One more time.
Breathing in,
Belly rises.
And breathing out,
Belly falls.
If this feels a little strange or awkward,
That's totally normal.
We're just teaching our body a more intentional way of breathing.
As you inhale,
Feel the belly rising and the body filling with air.
And on your exhale,
Breathing out fully.
Letting the belly fall and constrict.
As you practice this,
You might find yourself wanting to control or speed up the breath.
And that's totally fine.
Just find whatever steady,
Rhythmic pace and pattern of breathing works best for you.
Trying to have the inhale and exhale near each other.
Creating a steady rhythm to signal safety and calm to the nervous system.
As you continue with this gentle rhythm,
Start to notice a little more detail.
The coolness of the air as you breathe in through your nose.
And how it feels slightly warmer as you breathe out.
Notice the weight of your body,
Where you're making contact with whatever's supporting you.
And just feel that support.
Feel that sense of being held.
Keep breathing.
Belly rising.
Belly falling.
You may notice you're starting to feel a little more at ease and relaxed.
And that's because your nervous system has this range or window of tolerance.
Where you can feel your feelings without being completely overwhelmed by them.
Where we can think clearly and have more rational decision making.
And when intense emotions like anxiety,
Anger or fear take over,
We can move outside that window and we no longer feel okay.
This type of breathing,
This simple act of slowing down and breathing deeply and rhythmically can gently bring you back inside that window.
Back to a place where you can be with what you're feeling.
Even if you aren't feeling dramatically different at this moment,
That's okay.
Your nervous system is still shifting whether you immediately notice it or not.
Just keep doing these belly breaths.
And if you'd like,
You can make the exhale just a bit longer than the inhale.
And that can further support relaxing.
So again,
Inhale and expand the chest and shoulders.
Fully exhale,
Belly softens and falls.
If your mind happens to wander off,
That's completely normal.
When you notice,
Just gently guide your attention back to your breathing,
The hand on your belly,
The feeling of your stomach and chest rising and falling.
You can note to yourself,
I'm here,
Breathing.
Right now in this moment,
I'm okay.
And if you're dealing with something particularly difficult in life right now,
This practice isn't going to make those things or feelings disappear.
That's not what it's for.
But it can give you a little space around those challenging states of mind and body.
Where you're at least not completely consumed by the difficult feelings and your emotions don't totally run the show.
Keep breathing nice and slow.
Steady.
Belly rising on the inhale.
Belly falling with a deep exhale.
And take a moment to be aware of how this practice is supporting you.
You're taking care of your nervous system.
And that's truly important.
It matters.
Continue breathing at your own pace.
Belly rising,
Belly falling.
As we move towards the end of this practice,
There's no rush to finish.
But if you'd like,
You can release your hands now and let them rest comfortably in your lap or beside you if you haven't done that yet.
Wherever feels comfortable.
Start to notice the space around you again.
Maybe you hear sounds in the distance.
Or feel the air on your skin.
The temperature of the room or space you're in.
The useful thing about this practice is that it's always accessible to you.
You don't need anything special.
No app.
No perfect setting.
No uninterrupted time.
Just the breath.
You can come back to this belly breathing in your car,
At your desk at work,
In the middle of the night when sleep won't come,
Standing in the line at the grocery store.
Anytime you need a resource to come back to yourself,
To be in this moment with a little more regulation,
The breath is here to support you with that.
Let's take one more conscious breath together.
Deep breath in through your nose,
Really letting that belly expand.
And a long,
Slow breath out your mouth,
Releasing everything.
When you're ready,
Gently open your eyes if they've been closed.
Taking your time to stretch a little if that feels right.
And as you move back into your day,
Give yourself some gratitude for showing up and giving this time to yourself.
Thank you for listening,
And take care.
