Mindful Breathing & Mindful Body

Mindful Breathing and Mindful Body is a useful practice that can help when feeling stressed or anxious or if you just want to have some much needed me-time. Simply focussing on your breath and body can have a wonderful relaxing and healing effect on your wellbeing. If there are any noises or distractions during the practice, try not to worry. Get comfortable in your position, grab a cushion or blanket if you like and let’s deepen our mindfulness practice.

Transcript

Hello and welcome to mindfulness with Ruby. In today's practice we are going to explore mindful breathing as well as the body. So get comfortable. You can either sit down or lie down. And when you're ready we shall begin. Take a moment to let go of any expectations you may have of yourself or the practice. And start inviting the energy of kindness, Patience and observation. So now I would like for you to take a very gentle inhale through the nose and then very gently exhaling through the mouth. Letting go of any worries or any stress that you might be holding onto. So again taking a very gentle inhale through the nose and then exhaling calmly through the mouth. As you let go of any stress, Worries or fears that you might be holding onto. As your breathing returns back to its natural rhythm, Start to notice the quality of your breath. So for example, Notice the length of each inhale and each exhale. Notice whether you're breathing deeply or taking shorter breaths or even holding your breath at times. Just notice. Start to feel your breath within your body. Noticing how your body responds to each inhale and exhale. For example, As you inhale your stomach and chest expand a little bit. And then as you exhale your stomach and chest relax again. You can place a hand gently on your stomach or your chest if comfortable to notice the rising and falling of each breath that you're taking. Take this precious time to just be with your breath. So choosing not to worry about anything else. Allowing each breath to make you feel calmer, More connected to the present moment, More grounded and more peaceful. So spend the next few moments connecting with your breathing, Your natural breathing rhythm. If your mind starts to wander at any time due to noise or distraction or just thoughts, That's okay, That's normal. When this happens, I would like for you to just acknowledge or label it for what it is and then let it pass by like a cloud. So not clinging on to it, Just acknowledging and then letting it pass before bringing your attention back to your breath. Spend a few more moments connecting with your breathing, Taking your time. So now I would like for you to bring your attention towards your feet and take a few moments just to observe how your feet are feeling right now in this moment. You can gently move them around a bit if you like to notice any sensations. Maybe your feet are feeling a bit heavy and tired or maybe they're quite light and energised. Spend a few moments just to observe. And now taking a very gentle inhale, So breathing in through the nose and very calmly exhaling through the mouth as you allow your feet to relax. So not holding on to any tension. If you're wearing any socks or slippers, Notice how they feel against your feet as well. Are they comfortable? So now moving your attention upwards towards your legs, So that's your lower legs, Your knees and your thighs, The front and the backs. Notice how they are. Are they comfortable? Are they tired? You can place a hand on your legs if you like or anywhere that you feel you need to. Maybe to provide some extra comfort or to transfer some healing energy to that part of your body, So feel free to do so if you need to. So now taking another gentle inhale through the nose and then exhaling calmly through the mouth as you allow both legs to fully relax. And gently moving your attention now towards your back, So that's your lower back, The middle and your upper back. Take a brief moment just to notice how they're feeling and also becoming aware of your posture and how you're sitting or lying. And if you need to adjust your position to be more comfortable, You can do so gently. So now taking another gentle inhale, Breathing in through the nose and then very calmly exhaling through the mouth as you allow your whole back to relax. And again, So taking a gentle inhale, Breathing in and then slowly and calmly exhaling out as you allow your whole back to fully relax. Moving your attention now towards your shoulders, This is a common area for a lot of stress and tension to build up. But just take a moment to notice how your shoulders are feeling. You can move them around a bit if you like to notice any differences. Maybe one shoulder is tighter than the other one or maybe they're both about the same. Take a few more moments just to observe. And now I would like for you to gently lift your shoulders up as you inhale and then as you exhale for you to gently lower your shoulders back down. Some gentle shoulder movements. So taking an inhale now as you lift your shoulders up and then exhaling calmly as you bring your shoulders back down again. And again, So inhaling in, Lifting your shoulders up and then exhaling as you release your shoulders down, Releasing any tension that might be there. Continue this a few more times at your own pace. Moving your shoulders with your breath. And a few more times continue inhaling in as you lift your shoulders up very gently and then exhaling as you lower them down. And once more. And as you bring your shoulders back down, Take a moment to notice if they feel any different. So they might be feeling a bit more relaxed. And if not, That's okay. We're just observing. So now moving your attention upwards towards your face. So that's your jaw area, Your cheeks, Your eyes and your forehead. Take a moment to observe those areas. Noticing how they feel. Noticing if there's any tension. Or if your face is feeling relaxed already. Take a moment to notice. And if you notice that your jaw or your forehead area is tense or tight, Allow that to soften as you exhale. So as you naturally breathe out, Allow your face and your jaw to soften and relax. So now taking another very gentle inhale, Breathing in through the nose. And then exhaling calmly through the mouth as you allow your whole body to relax. And again at your own pace. So bringing your attention now back towards your natural breathing rhythm, Like we did in the beginning. Notice if your breathing has changed in any way. For example, You might be breathing a little deeper or slower now. And if not, That's okay. We are just kindly observing with patience and kindness. Take a few moments now to observe your breathing. And when ready, You can start to bring your attention back into the room that you're in. So you can gently open your eyes. And that will bring this practice to a close. Thank you for trying your best to commit to this practice. If you feel that you need some extra time to rest or to drink some water, Then allow yourself to do so. Thank you.

Reviews

I appreciate the how u reminded me to be gentle with myself I woke up freeling anxious and shaky nervous for some reason. Now I feel centered and aware of why . Thank u