Mindful Breathing

In this simple and short breath meditation you're invited to sit and gently observe the breath. It’s a deceptively simple and infinitely powerful practice for beginner's and experienced practitioners alike.

Transcript

Begin the practice of mindful breathing by sitting on a chair or on the floor with the spine erect.

The two most important factors in sitting are being comfortable and being alert.

So follow my instructions as best you can but first and foremost listen to your body and sit in a way that allows you to be the most comfortable and the most alert.

Allow the arms and hands to rest comfortably and without strain.

Perhaps on the thighs or in the lap,

Whatever works best for you.

Feel the base of the spine extend down through the ground and the top of the spine lift up to the sky.

Tuck the chin ever so slightly.

Allow the spine to rest in its natural curves.

And if you have any injuries that prevent you from sitting,

I would just prefer to practice lying down today.

By all means lie down and use any props you need to make yourself comfortable.

You might even like to pause this recording as you settle into a comfortable position.

Let the shoulders be relaxed.

Let the face be relaxed.

Allow the mouth to gently close and the breath to pass through the nostrils.

And if you haven't already,

Gently allow the eyes to close.

Noticing that you're breathing.

Noticing the full inhalation,

The full exhalation and the spaces between each inhalation and exhalation.

Staying with the full spectrum of the breath.

Not trying to change the breath in any way.

Just noticing the natural breath.

Bringing a gentle curiosity to the natural movements of the breath.

And when the mind starts to wander,

Which it will inevitably do at some point,

This is just what minds do.

Just noticing that it's wandered and gently and kindly bring your attention back to focus on the breath.

Over and over and over again.

Choosing to keep the mind resting gently on the breath.

And when it wonders,

Bringing it back,

When it wonders,

Bringing it back again,

Again and again and again.

Moment by moment,

Breath by breath.

Not trying to change the breath in any way,

Just noticing the natural breath.

The inhalation,

The exhalation and the spaces between each inhalation and exhalation.

Moment by moment,

Breath by breath.

And then when you're ready,

Take a moment to thank yourself for taking this time to breathe mindfully and with awareness.

Taking the time to nurture and love yourself.

And then gently open your eyes and return to your day.

Thank you.

Reviews

It’s amazing to me how just noticing your breath can put you in a whole different mindset. I was extremely agitated before completing this, and am now back in a neutral state. Thank you!

That was wonderful Lauren. You have such a soothing voice. Thank you 🙏

Clear pleasant voice, gentle and direct guidance with enough silence to practice meditating — loved it! 💜✨ Thank you 🙏

I was surprised how calm I became after just a 6-minute meditation. I am a beginner. I have tried meditations of different lengths and styles. I've had some great results with ones that guide you through visualization, body scans, and Christian or spiritual themes. So I was surprised how calm I became with this meditation with only a focus on breath's existence and not really focusing on how to breathe or intentionally changing focus to/from breath to another theme. For me, the brief section in the beginning before the meditation to counsel how to position yourself and settle in was extremely useful. No other meditation had explained it that clearly to me before. I think my starting posture, plus the unique and calm voice of the teacher, helped me get to a better place this time.

This was my first foray in Pranayama, and it was excellent. Thank you so much for such an accessible meditation.

Lovely and peaceful

Very nice thank you

Great little guided meditation to further help you practice on just focusing on the breath.

Thanks very much:)

Very nice quick practice. Recommend bookmarking for when you need a break to get back on track.

Fantastic guided breathing technique. Love it.

Very nice breathing exercise. Good for anxiety. Thank you!

Simple, well-paced, and surprisingly grounding for such a short meditation.

Excellent mindful breathing exercise. I need to get back to basics every so often. These kinds of sessions are so important to remind just to be aware that I'm breathing!
I'm glad she adds the part about lying about because sitting in the usual meditation position is uncomfortable for my back

Just what I needed. A simple guiding voice to keep me returning again and again. Good stuff!!

The pace was excellent. Gentle voice. Clear basic instruction. One of my favorites. Bookmarked. 😊💕

Very basic and simple but very effective - EVERYONE should do this once a day! Thank you.

Great, thank you.

Very nice guided meditation. Your voice is very calming.