MBCT Three Minute Breathing Space

The three minute breathing space from the Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy curriculum.

Mindful Nation UK is a Community Interest Company developed from the ashes of a high quality nationally recognised NHS Mindfulness Teaching and Training Service, sadly dropped from the NHS menu of service in 2015.

Transcript

This practice is called the 3-minute breathing space.

There are three steps to this practice and it's been designed to use out in the big wide world when mindful awareness would be helpful.

So step one of the breathing space is becoming aware.

Where by we become more aware of how things are in this moment.

We deliberately adopt an erect and dignified posture whether sitting or standing.

Then bringing your awareness to your inner experience.

Ask yourself what is my experience right now?

What thoughts are going through my mind?

What feelings are here?

What body sensations can I notice right now?

A little like a moment to moment snapshot.

Step one,

Becoming aware.

Step two of the breathing space is the gathering step.

Here we redirect our attention to focus on the physical sensations of breathing itself.

Moving in close to the sense of the breath in the body.

Feeling the sensations of the abdomen wall expanding and retracting.

Following the breath all the way in and all the way out.

In step two of the breathing space we are gathering our attention to the breath.

Using breathing to anchor ourselves in this present moment.

And then we move to step three of the breathing space expanding.

I invite you to expand your field of awareness around the breathing.

So that it now includes a sense of the body as a whole.

Posture,

Facial expression,

Becoming aware of any sensations in the body.

Taking your awareness to these sensations.

As best you can,

Seeing if it's possible to bring this expanded awareness to the next moments and the next moments of your day.

Reviews

Great easy 3 step I really like the simple dialog on describing where to breathe into & feel thank you

Thanks , short and sweet

Super, soothing, short & sweet. Thank you! 🙏

More words than I prefer but really nice all the same.

Thank you, a near perfect breathing space. Like a few others I would of liked a bell invited to signal the end - although the end is quite obvious!

Perfect way to get centred in only three minutes.

Centerfully wonderful thanx

Soothing voice, great new perspective! Short and can be done at any time in my day!

Nice short mindfulness practice that can be used now or during moments of stress throughout the day.

Easy to follow. Thank you!

Good one, straightforward for people that are new but still applicable for familiar meditators

Perfect little break and quick reminder to become aware and choose again...
Lovely 🌺