Breathing With Anxiety

Join me for a short breath-based practice to calm anxiety and stress. In this practice we explore using the 4-4-8 counting pattern to deepen the exhale. Lengthening the out breath helps to connect to the parasympathetic nervous system.

Transcript

Hi, It's Mandy here. Today we're going to explore a practice to help with anxiety and feelings of stress. So this practice can be done sitting or lying, Just checking in with what you need right now, Whether that's to choose a posture that's upright in sitting or that's a little bit more relaxed and supportive in a lying posture, Whether that's on a bed or the floor or a mat. And as you find this posture, Maybe even checking in to see if it's possible to bring 5% more ease to the body, Just checking out the different parts of the body that are in contact with the surface beneath you, Taking a little bit of a wriggle and a shift and then settling in for this practice and just giving yourself the permission to be here, To pause, To take some time to turn inward in this way, Knowing that all that has come before this moment and all that is to follow this moment, You will attend to in your own way later. But for now, Just giving yourself the permission to be here and to listen to what's happening in the body, In the heart and in the mind, Moment by moment, Whatever that is, If it is stress or anxiety, Feelings of anger, Frustration, All parts are welcome. So we'll begin with bringing our attention to our breath, Just noticing where you feel the breath most strongly in the body, It might be at the tip of the nose, As the air comes in and out of the nostrils, It might be in the chest as your lungs fill and empty or it might be down in the belly as the muscles of the abdomen gently stretch and release with each breath, Just noticing how the body knows how to breathe and resting back in that familiarity and comfort and safety of breathing, Of being breathed, Your body knows just what to do. And when the mind wanders away from the breath, Perhaps to planning, Fantasizing, Daydreaming, Just gently noticing where it's gone and calmly, Compassionately, Drawing your attention back to rest within the movements and sensations of breathing, Just focusing on this breath and this breath. Often when we feel stressed or anxious, Our breathing can change from its normal, Regular pattern to somewhat shallower breathing as if our body is preparing to fight or to run away, Our body always just trying to protect us and make us prepared for the next thing. But often this shallow breathing can mean we have different impacts on our other body systems because we need a certain amount of oxygen into ourselves to keep us healthy and functioning. So for the next few moments, We might explore deepening our breath a little bit and following the counting of breaths where we particularly focus on lengthening the exhale. As one of my meditation teachers says, When in doubt, Breathe out. Connecting with a long, Slow exhale can bring a switch from the fight or flight response, The stress response, Into a more calming rest and digest parasympathetic nervous system. So we're going to count out the breaths in a rhythm of four, Four, Eight. So counting in for four on the inhale, Holding for a count of four, And then exhaling for a count of eight. So just listening to the counting and the rhythm, Seeing if it's possible to follow that yourself. And if not, Of course, You're welcome to just breathe as you have been. So if you're ready, Let's begin. Breathing in two, Three, Four, And hold two, Three, Four, And exhale two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Inhale two, Three, Four, And pause two, Three, Four, And exhale two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Breathing in two, Three, Four, And hold two, Three, Four, And exhale two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Breathing in two, Three, Four, And hold two, Three, Four, And exhale two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Inhale two, Three, Four, And hold two, Three, Four, And exhale two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. And just allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm, Receiving the in-breaths and letting go on the out-breaths. Perhaps checking in with yourself with sensations in the body, Thoughts, Emotions that might be here. Just noticing the impact of breathing in that way as best you can, Letting go of any judgment, Thinking you should be feeling a certain way, Just noticing the actual felt experience of the body in this moment, However it is, Allowing and letting be as best you can. And if it feels okay for you, You might like to bring your hands to your belly if they're not already. And again, Just taking a few deep breaths and feeling the movement of your belly beneath your hands. As you breathe in, The hands gently expanding, And breathing out, The hands coming closer together. Just inhaling and exhaling, Connecting to that rhythm and flow of the natural breath, Just like the waves on the ocean, Rising and falling, Always moving, Changing, And shifting. Even in stillness, There's always movement in the body. You may even like to bring your hands up to your heart, Covering the heart area. And again, Feeling the movement of breathing in this part of the body, Noticing the hands move up on the in-breath, Rest back on the out-breath. And if it feels okay for you with your hands on your heart in this way, There might be some words of self-compassion that you could offer to yourself. I'm here, I'm listening. It's gonna be okay. Whatever words might resonate for you, Just to offer yourself a little bit of comfort in this moment. And as we prepare to bring this short practice to a close, Maybe checking in with the body to see if there's any kind of movements you might need to bring a little bit of nourishment to muscles that have been still for a while. If you're sitting, You might like to roll your shoulders. If you're lying down, You might like to draw your knees up to your chest, Holding onto the front of the legs, If it's possible, Or the back of the calves or the knees. Maybe even bringing a little bit of gentle rocking, Whether you're sitting or lying, Just a little bit of movement into the body. And finally, If it's possible, Even a little smile to the lips. Thanks, See you next time.