Welcome to the three-step breathing practice.
This is a short and very portable practice that you can use at any time,
Anywhere,
Right in the midst of your busy life.
Step 1.
Awareness of bodily feelings,
Emotions and thoughts.
Stop what you're doing and deliberately bring your mind to where your body is.
You can help yourself do this by changing your posture,
Relaxing,
Dropping your shoulders and straightening your spine,
Feeling your feet on the floor.
This change brings us out of automatic pilot and into touch with life as it is happening.
Now,
Bringing your attention to your inner experience with a sense of curiosity and gentle non-reactivity.
Acknowledging,
Without judging or doing anything at all,
To the thoughts that are running through the river of your mind.
Acknowledging any emotions in the same way.
Facing unpleasant ones as well as recognizing good feelings too.
Tuning in to the physical sensations in the body.
Gently going through the body and recognizing clearly whatever is here.
Step 2.
Focusing on the breath.
Now,
Bringing your full attention to the physical sensations of breathing.
Becoming aware of the whole process of breathing in and breathing out.
Noticing where you feel the sensations of the breath most clearly.
Now,
Bring your full attention to this one place in your body.
Following the movement of the breath in this one part.
Keeping your full attention on the changing sensations of the movement as you breathe.
Step 3.
Expanding awareness.
Now,
Opening to all the sensations in your body again from your head to your feet,
Including your posture and your facial expression.
Noticing without judgment.
Taking a minute or so to really tune in to what it feels like to be inhabiting your body right now.
Breathing with whole body awareness and noticing too how your body exists in space.
Accepting yourself just as you are right now.
As the practice comes to an end,
Noticing any shift of attitude and as best you can,
Taking this fundamental shift of mindful awareness into the rest of your day.
Trying not to have too many expectations,
Knowing that developing mindfulness is a subtle and ongoing process.
