Hi,
This is Joe Willner and this is a five minute breathing space practice that you can use anytime,
Anywhere to regain calm,
Clarity,
Or confidence,
Or to simply get more familiar with the mind and the inner experience.
To begin,
Allow yourself to slow down and be still.
Choose a posture where you'll be as comfortable as possible,
And gently close your eyes.
Whether you're lying,
Sitting,
Or standing,
Giving yourself permission to be present,
With nowhere to be and nothing to do.
And now turning your attention inward,
Bringing awareness to the quality of the breath.
Notice any subtle sensations as you breathe in and breathe out.
Allow your awareness to gather around the experience of the breath,
Deep within the body,
Feeling the different sensations in the front,
Back,
And sides of the torso as you breathe.
Now broaden awareness to notice the body,
Feeling the weight and the shape of the body,
Noticing the points of contact between your body and the floor or seat beneath you.
If you notice any tension or resistance towards painful or unpleasant sensations,
Try to accept them as best as you can,
And even gently turn towards them,
Using the breath as a way of opening up the body and relaxing.
Letting yourself breathe naturally,
As you compassionately notice any feelings and emotions as they arise,
Doing your best to make room for these experiences to come and go.
Now notice any thoughts that may arise and pass through the mind,
Trying to take a curious perspective about the mind and not judge or evaluate thoughts,
But instead observe them as if they're clouds in the sky,
Coming and going,
Floating by.
Trying to observe the screen of the mind and let the content come and go without judgment or getting mentally hooked by the content.
And when the mind does wander off,
Or you get lost in thoughts,
As will inevitably happen,
Just note and observe this,
And gently guide the mind back to the breath,
Deep in the body.
Breathing in and breathing out,
Noticing each inhale and exhale,
Being with the sensation of the breath again and again,
Breath by breath,
Breath by breath,
Remembering to use this process anytime you need to take a break,
Check in with yourself,
Get re-centered.
And so I hope it was a helpful practice to learn about that,
And to bring some presence and shift of your energy into the rest of your day.
And so to bring this practice to a close,
Bring your attention and awareness back to the space and environment around you,
Opening your eyes,
Wiggling your toes and fingers,
Maybe a little stretch if needed.
And I thank you for listening.
