Welcome to this short box breathing practice.
In this practice,
We bring our awareness to the four parts of the breath,
The in-breath,
The pause that follows the in-breath,
The out-breath,
And the pause that follows the out-breath.
And we hold each part of the breath to a count of four.
And we repeat this process for a number of cycles.
As we go through box breathing,
Just finding yourself a position where you're both comfortable and alert.
And inviting a soft belly and a soft face.
And allowing whatever arises to be just as it is.
Observing it all without judgment,
Just curiosity.
So let's begin.
Allowing yourself to rest in silence and stillness for a moment.
And starting by just becoming aware of your breath.
Beginning to notice the breath as it moves into the body.
And as it moves out of the body.
Awareness of the in-breath.
Awareness of the out-breath.
You may also have some awareness of those slight pauses in between the in-breath and the out-breath.
So try noting each part of the breath as you become aware of it.
So when you're breathing in,
Noting quietly to yourself,
Breathing in.
And when you're breathing out,
Noting quietly to yourself,
Breathing out.
And when pausing between the in-breath and the out-breath,
Noting quietly to yourself,
Pausing.
And do this at your own speed and time.
Breathing in,
Pausing,
Breathing out,
Pausing.
Breathing in,
Pausing,
Breathing out,
Pausing.
Now we'll start to consciously lengthen each part of the breath to the count of four.
If four feels uncomfortable for you once you've tried it,
You can reduce your breathing to the count of three or even two as you get used to the practice.
Just make sure you use the same count for each of the four parts of the breath.
So let's try together.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Pause in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Pause in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Pause in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Pause in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Pause in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing out,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Pause in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Now just take a little bit of time on your own to go through a few cycles of breath at the count that's right for you.
As we come towards the close of this practice,
Just allowing the breath to return to its natural rhythm and checking in briefly with your body and your mind,
Seeing how you feel after this box breathing practice.
And then when you're ready,
Just open your eyes and take in any small gentle movements or stretches as you need to before you get on with the rest of your day.
May you be well.
