Welcome to the practice of affectionate breathing.
A practice in being with our experience with warmth,
Affection,
Curiosity,
And kindness.
Finding a way to sit that's upright,
Stable,
And relaxed.
Helpful if the chest is open,
The pelvis tilted slightly forward,
Head and neck in some alignment,
And letting the shoulders go letting the body soften.
Taking a few slow easy breaths as we settle into the body and the breathing releasing unnecessary tension.
Letting the eyes close partially or fully as we take these initial mindful breaths of release and settling.
As we let the breathing relax into its own natural rhythm noticing where the breath can be felt most easily.
Perhaps at the tip of the nose or the belly,
Perhaps as a gentle movement of the whole body.
Just letting ourselves notice the simple sensation of breathing just feeling the breathing being with the breathing.
You might also place a hand onto the body,
The chest or the belly,
The practice of soothing touch,
Feeling that connection between hand and body that warmth that contact.
As a felt reminder of our intention to bring kindness to our experience.
And we can use this practice of soothing touch at any point during our practice of affectionate breathing.
As we bring and hold our attention in the breathing,
Can we incline the mind towards kindness and warmth,
Affection.
Like we might warm up in response to a child or a pet or a loved one.
Can we invite a feeling of warmth and affection in this awareness of breathing,
In this affectionate breathing?
It's okay that the mind wanders,
Gently escorting the mind back to the sensation of breathing.
Also like we might redirect a puppy or a child who's wandered.
Being kind with the wandering mind as we incline ourselves towards the breathing with some curiosity and warmth.
Noticing how the breathing is nourishing,
That the breath nourishes the body on its own without our having to do anything.
As we let the body breathe us.
Nothing that needs to be done.
Just allowing the breath to breathe,
The body to breathe.
Feeling the whole body breathing,
Gently moving with the rising and falling of the breath,
Gently moving in and out like the sea.
Allowing the body to be rocked,
To be caressed even.
Internally caressed and soothed by the feeling of the breath,
By the movement of this natural internal sea in and out,
Rising and falling by the warmth and movement of this natural process.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Is it possible to release a little more into the breathing?
To give yourself over to the breath,
To become the breath,
To let the breath become you,
Become the whole experience.
A breath that's warm and kind and nourishing.
And at any time through the practice of affectionate breathing,
We can release the breath.
Through the practice of affectionate breathing,
We can bring our hands onto the body in a way that's soothing.
The practice of soothing touch is available to us all the time,
Just like the awareness of breathing is available to us all the time.
A support for connection,
A support for self-soothing,
A support for an affectionate,
Warm inclination towards our experience,
No matter what it is.
Thank you.
Being with whatever is present,
With warmth and curiosity,
Including difficult mind states or distracted mind states,
Worried or upset emotions or calmness and quiet.
In this practice of affectionate breathing,
Can we feel the warmth and nourishment of breath and incline the mind towards kindness and understanding,
Regardless of what's here,
Allowing it to be here and meeting it with kindness?
And now releasing any effort that's being made,
Just allowing our experience to be whatever it is,
Whatever comes into awareness is just as it is,
Just for now.
Softening and releasing the mind.
Just being,
Just being here.
Thank you.
And as the practice of affectionate breathing,
The formal practice comes to a close.
Perhaps a moment of appreciation that we took this time,
That we made this commitment to our own well-being and to warming and inclining our heart towards a kinder and more compassionate attitude towards experience.
May we carry this intention forward into whatever's next,
With kindness and forgiveness and patience with our self and our world.
Stronger Morgan.
