Awareness Of Breath – Returning To The Present Moment

This is a short, gentle breath awareness practice inviting you to rest your attention on the natural rhythm of your breath. With soft guidance and soothing background music, you’ll be gently encouraged to return to the breath whenever the mind wanders - without judgment or effort.

Bringing awareness to the breath helps settle the nervous system, calm the mind, and create space between you and your thoughts or emotion. It can be most helpful when you're feeling overwhelmed, anxious, restless, or disconnected from yourself.

This practice offers a steady anchor to the present moment. You don’t need to feel calm to begin - simply arriving and noticing your breath is enough. Let this be a soft place to land, one breath at a time.

Thanks for being here. I am a Registered Psychotherapist (Ontario), Certified Coach, and MBSR teacher supporting individuals and couples navigating trauma, stress, burnout, and overwhelm. I provide therapy, MBSR, and group programs.

Transcript

So,

Taking a few moments to settle in to this awareness of breathing practice.

Closing the eyes,

If that's comfortable for you,

Or taking a soft,

Half open and receptive gaze a few feet in front of you on the floor.

And then bringing attention to the body sitting,

To the points of contact,

To the base of the body,

To the pubic bone descending,

The chest rising,

The chin in line with the navel and the hands at rest on the thighs or folded in the lap.

Breathing to sensations inside the body and outside the body on the surface of the skin.

Allowing the attention to include the sensations and breathing wherever they are most available to you.

Whether at the nostrils,

The chest or the abdomen and attending to the movement of the breath here.

If at the belly to the sensations of the belly expanding and deflating,

If at the chest to the movement of the ribs expanding with the in breath and contracting with the out breath.

Or if at the nostrils to the cool air as it enters and the warm air as it exits.

Picking one place and abiding here as best as you can.

Knowing that the attention will be pulled into thinking or other sensations.

This is perfectly normal.

Your job is to simply wake up to this and then gently return the attention to the physical sensations of breathing.

Breathing in and breathing out.

Breathing to the full length of the inhalation and the full length of the exhalation.

Not needing to manipulate the breath in any way.

Working with the breath as it is,

As it is moving in and out of the body.

Sound,

Thoughts and other sensations are part of the meditative field.

But in this moment,

As best as we can,

Keeping them in the background.

The intended focus of attention in this practice is on the physical sensations of breathing as it comes and goes.

Attention moves and we gently bring it back.

It moves again and we bring it back again over and over.

Picking up to this movement of attention is as much a part of the practice as attending And now on an out breath,

Allowing the intention to include the physical sensations coming and going in the body in addition to the breath.

To the entirety of bodily sensations.

Bringing a kind of expansiveness to attention in this moment.

Not seeking or scanning rather as best as you can,

Resting in a kind of open awareness of breath and body.

In a few moments,

We will be transitioning out of this formal practice.

Awareness of breathing.

And so listening to the entire length of the bell as it rises and fades.

And then opening the eyes and moving the body in any way that is needed.

Thank you.