Hello and welcome.
Welcome to this guided meditation where we will be practicing box breathing,
A simple yet powerful,
Powerful technique to calm the mind,
Reduce stress and anxiety and bring balance back to your body.
To find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down,
Whichever works for you,
And when you find that place,
Just settle in,
Allowing your hands to rest gently on your lap or by your sides.
Again,
Follow what feels right for you.
Again,
Taking all the time you need to settle in,
Bring your awareness to the surface supporting you from beneath you,
Holding your body,
Reliable.
Let your shoulders relax a little bit and bring your awareness to your breath.
No judging it,
No changing it.
Just observe something that we do all day and all night without even thinking about it.
Observe yourself being breathed.
There's nothing to do.
There's nowhere to be.
Just this moment of stillness.
And if it feels right,
Only if it feels right,
Softly,
Softly close your eyes and if it doesn't feel right,
That's okay.
Just allow yourself a soft gaze.
And let's begin.
Box breathing is a rhythmic breathing technique where we inhale,
We hold,
We exhale and hold again,
Each for an equal count of four.
Take a slow inhale through your nose for one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And exhale gently through your mouth,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Inhaling,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhaling through the mouth,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Inhaling through the nose,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Inhaling,
And hold,
And exhale,
And hold.
Continue to breathe in your own rhythm,
Counting as you go,
Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
I'm right here.
Stay with your breath,
Maintaining a beautiful steady rhythm,
Lulling yourself into a state of safety.
With each inhale,
Imagine drawing in fresh energy,
Nourishment and calm,
Spreading throughout your body,
And with each exhale,
Releasing any tension or stress.
Or knots and tangles,
Hidden emotions,
Stuck energy,
And as you hold your breath,
Feel the beautiful pause between these moments,
Between the inhale and the exhale.
And note,
Note the stillness,
The peace,
And the presence.
A pause that we never notice,
But right here,
Right now,
We do.
And if your mind begins to wander or the monkey mind is chattering away,
Don't worry,
It's okay.
Gently bring your focus back to your breath,
Breathing in for four,
Holding for four,
Exhaling for four,
And holding for four.
Bringing your focus back to your breath,
Whenever the mind starts to make an appearance,
It's okay.
Back to the breath,
Back to the body.
There's no rush,
No effort,
Just the natural rhythm of your body in harmony with your breath.
I'm here.
Inhaling,
Drawing the air in.
Exhaling,
Letting the breath fall away.
Guiding the breath in,
Holding it in.
Inhaling,
Drawing the air in.
Exhaling,
Holding.
Now slowly allow your breath to return to its natural flow,
To its natural rhythm.
No counting,
No guidance.
And take a moment to notice the subtle shifts in your body and mind.
Perhaps a deeper sense of calm,
Maybe a feeling of steadiness,
Or maybe a lighter presence,
Or maybe nothing at all,
And that's absolutely fine.
Take one final deep inhale,
And exhale fully,
Letting go of any remaining tension you may be holding.
And just take a moment to enjoy a quieter mind,
Maybe,
And an open heart.
And when you feel ready,
Gently begin to bring some movement into your body,
Wriggle your fingers and wriggle your toes.
Maybe stretch,
Maybe yawn,
Maybe make a sound,
Bringing awareness back to the present moment.
And when you're ready,
Only when you're ready,
Gently,
Gently open your eyes.
Try not to jump up immediately and get on with your day.
Just rest in this moment a little bit longer,
And carry the sense of balance with you or whatever it is that came up for you.
Carry it with you throughout your day,
Your week,
Knowing that at any time you can return to your breath and find calm within.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
