Thanks for joining me in this mindful breathing practice to help calm the nervous system.
Take a few moments to get settled,
Finding a comfortable position,
Maybe sitting,
Laying down,
Whatever feels most supportive for you in this moment.
As you get comfortable,
Maybe shift around a little and see if you can make yourself feel even 1% more supported and more comfortable.
Let's begin.
Start to bring your awareness to your breath.
At first,
Not intentionally shifting anything,
Just noticing maybe the speed of your breath.
Noticing the sound of your breath.
Noticing how your breath is moving you.
Maybe you notice the depth of your breath into your belly or your chest.
Maybe you notice the quality of your breath.
Does it feel smooth?
Does it feel slow?
Does it feel tight or something else?
If it feels good for you,
You might choose to place a hand on your belly and a hand on your chest.
And over the course of the next few breaths,
Maybe explore what it might feel like to draw the air just a little bit deeper into your lungs.
Maybe drawing out your inhale.
And perhaps beginning to slow down your exhale,
Making it even a moment longer.
Maybe tune into the sensation underneath your hands,
Or if you're laying down the sensation between your back and the surface beneath you.
And just noticing how this changes with each breath in and each breath out.
And maybe it feels good to bring a rhythm or a count to your breath.
Maybe breathing in for a count of three or four.
And breathing out for a count of four to six.
And remember,
You can't do this wrong.
You're just exploring what feels good in your body right now by encouraging the breath to slow down a little.
As you continue to explore what this feels like as you slow the breath down,
Perhaps be curious if you can use your exhales to help yourself find a little more softness in the muscles in the body.
You might choose to continue breathing in this way,
Giving yourself as much time as you need.
And whenever this feels complete,
You can allow the attention to fall away from the breath.
Thank you for practicing with me today.