Welcome.
Find your way into a comfortable seat.
Breathing in.
.
.
And breathing out.
The following meditation will be a meditation for breathing for relaxation and health.
The next breath you take,
Breathe in and out through the nose,
Not through the mouth.
The nose filters out pollutants and it moistens and warms the air.
As you breathe slowly in and out through your nose,
Your breath should be natural,
Smooth,
Easy and slow.
Breathing in.
.
.
And remembering to exhale fully and deeply.
Exhaling fully and deeply is the first step to better breathing.
It stimulates the functioning of the brain cells and rids the system of stale air.
Exhaling also can help activate the relaxation response via the parasympathetic nervous system,
Lowering the heart rate.
And it also provides a lot more room for the next inhalation you take.
So breathing in.
.
.
And exhaling fully.
Taking time for this full inhale and exhale.
Slowing down the breathing rate.
Causing the brain to get even more oxygenated.
Heightening your awareness,
Increasing your alertness and calmness.
Diffusing any anxiety,
Diffusing any nervousness.
As you breathe,
Notice the low belly moving rather than just your chest.
Inhaling and allowing the belly to expand.
And on your exhale,
The belly contracts.
Breathing this way results in greater transfer of oxygen into the blood for better delivery of nutrients to all of your tissues.
Breathing in,
Belly expands.
And breathing out,
Belly contracts.
Keeping this breath full and deep,
Avoiding any shallow or irregular breathing patterns which can result in more bodily waste and toxins building up in our system.
This short,
Shallow breath is also an indicator of stress.
While breathing that is slow and smooth alleviates these issues.
Leads to a clear and alert mind.
And improves the immune system.
As you follow your air as it comes in and out.
Breathing through your nose.
Continue just feeling this breath each time it comes in.
Each time it goes out.
If your mind begins to wander,
Just bring it back to the feeling and sensing your breath.
Noticing.
Can you feel movement in your belly?
In your ribs?
In your collarbones?
Just take your time.
During the next several cycles of breathing,
Empty your lungs more than usual each time you breathe out.
Let all the air out,
Compressing your stomach to squeeze out all of the stale air and carbon dioxide.
Letting it all empty out.
And each time you breathe in,
Take in a nice,
Full,
Deep breath.
And let the air go all the way to the bottom of your lungs.
Feeling your stomach rise,
Your chest expand,
Your collarbone area fill.
As you breathe in,
Your diaphragm expands and massages all the internal organs in the abdominal area.
Aiding in digestion.
And as you breathe out,
Relax.
Allowing any tension or knots in your belly to naturally untie.
Letting go.
Breathing in fully and completely.
Breathing out,
Letting it all go.
Relaxing more and more.
Breathing heals you,
Calms you.
It is soothing.
When breathing in fully and completely,
Our oxygen enters bloodstreams.
Nourishes all the organs,
All the cells.
Protecting you.
And breathing out releases metabolic waste and toxins.
Your breath is cleansing you and healing you.
Let's use the breath in another way now and take advantage of the mind-body connection.
If you wish,
Imagine exhaling confusion.
And inhaling clarity.
Imagine exhaling darkness.
And inhaling light.
Imagine exhaling fear.
And inhaling love.
Exhaling pain.
Inhaling relief.
Exhaling anxiety.
And inhaling peace.
Exhaling selfishness.
And inhaling generosity.
Exhaling guilt.
And inhaling forgiveness.
Exhaling weakness.
And inhaling courage.
During the next few breathing cycles you take,
Breathe in through your nose and sigh out through your mouth.
Let the air stay out as long as it's comfortable.
And naturally allowing another breath to come in by itself.
Now let your breathing return to a normal,
Natural pace.
Return to using your nose.
Letting your breathing be steady and easy.
Feeling calm,
Peaceful,
Relaxed.
And when you're ready,
You can begin to blink your eyes open,
Feeling refreshed,
Rejuvenated,
Alert,
And fully alive.
Thank you for practicing.
Namaste.
