Welcome,
Dear friend.
My name is Chris,
And today we're moving through a breathwork practice created to support a tender place,
Grief.
Grief arrives in many forms,
For someone we've lost,
For a version of ourselves that's gone,
Or for the way life used to be.
And while grief is heavy,
It is not wrong.
It is love that has nowhere to go,
And the breath gives us a way to soften what feels too tight,
To make space around the ache,
And to let the heart release a little of what it's been holding.
Throughout this session,
Allow whatever arises.
If tears come,
Let them.
If there's numbness,
That too is welcome.
Now find a comfortable position,
Lying down or seated,
And if it feels supportive,
Bring one hand to your heart and one hand to your belly,
And let's begin with one slow inhale through the nose,
And a soft exhale out the mouth.
Perfect.
If grief is here,
Let it be here.
You don't have to be strong.
You're allowed to soften,
To feel,
And let your heart be exactly as it is.
Let's begin.
For our first round,
We'll begin with a gentle heart-centered breath,
Inhaling through the nose for four counts,
And exhale softly through the mouth for four counts.
This is a slow,
Steady rhythm,
Meant to create safety and space around the heart.
Let's begin.
In.
We'll take a recovery breath in three,
Two,
One,
Let it all out.
We'll shift now into a slow,
Circular breath through the mouth,
Inhaling through the mouth for four counts,
And exhaling through the mouth for four counts.
Again,
No pause between breaths.
Let the breath move in one smooth,
Connected circle.
Here we go.
Now let it all out.
As if you're holding your own heart.
We'll take a recovery breath in three,
Two,
One,
Big breath in,
Filling all the way up.
Now hold at the top.
We'll take a recovery breath in three,
Two,
One,
Let it all out.
Nice.
For our final round,
We'll move into a soft,
Humming breath,
Inhaling through the nose for four counts,
And then humming gently on the exhale for eight counts with the mouth closed.
I'll cue the timing.
Now let's begin.
In.
We'll take a recovery breath in three,
Two,
One,
Let it all out.
Ah.
Letting the breath return to its natural rhythm through the nose,
Body and heart to rest in the space you've created.
Just presence.
Begin to bring gentle movement back into your fingers and toes.
Feel the tenderness in your heart and the strength it took to meet your grief today.
What opened here doesn't have to be resolved,
Just acknowledged.
Let this softness accompany you into the rest of your day.
And thank you for breathing with me.
May your heart feel held,
Supported,
And a little lighter.
