30:51

Affectionate Breathing (MSC)

by Ottawa Mindfulness Clinic

Rated
4.4
Type
guided
Activity
Meditation
Suitable for
Everyone
Plays
1.8k

Leaning towards ourselves with affection as we practice awareness of breath. Bringing our attention to the heart, we learn to open to our experiences with tenderness and care. Please take care in your practice. Respect your heart's capacity in meditations.

LoveBreathingBody AwarenessSelf CompassionMind WanderingAffectionMeditationTendernessCareMindful Self CompassionLove BreathingPosturesSoothing VisualizationsVisualizations

Transcript

This meditation is called affectionate breathing.

Please find a quiet comfortable place to sit.

Position yourself in a way that your bones are supporting the muscles and you don't need any effort to remain in one position for the whole exercise.

To do this try keeping your back straight and gently supported with your shoulder blades slightly dropped and your chin gently tucked towards your chest.

Take three slow easy deep breaths to relax and let go of whatever burdens you're carrying.

Then let your eyelids gently close or partially close whichever makes you more comfortable.

If you wish put your hand over your heart or wherever it is comforting for you to remind yourself that you are bringing not only attention but kind attention to your experience and to yourself.

Now finding your breath wherever you can feel it most easily perhaps at the tip of the nose,

The belly or perhaps as a gentle movement of your whole body.

Letting yourself notice the simple sensation of breathing.

Just feeling your breath for a while.

Your mind will naturally wander away from the sensation of the breath every few seconds.

Don't worry about how often your mind wanders.

Gently returning to the feeling of your breathing when you notice that your mind has wandered like escorting a puppy or a child that's gone astray.

See if you can incline towards your breathing as you might incline towards a child or a beloved path with curiosity and tenderness.

Letting your body breathe you.

There's nothing you need to do.

Noticing how your breath nourishes your body even when you're not paying any attention to it.

Now feeling your whole body breathe gently moving with the rising and falling of the breath like the movement of the sea.

Or if you like allowing your body to be rocked by your breath back and forth like a baby being soothed and caressed.

Giving yourself over to your breath.

Letting yourself become your breath.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Take a moment and savor the stillness of your body.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Gently rocked and soothed back and forth.

Slowly and gently open your eyes.

Meet your Teacher

Ottawa Mindfulness ClinicOttawa, Canada

4.4 (94)

Recent Reviews

Paul

March 15, 2022

Very soothing. Lots of silent periods and no intrusive music. 🙏

Peggy

June 26, 2020

Thank you, and hope all is well with you and the Ottawa Mindfulness Clinic.

Donna

June 22, 2020

Lovely. Lots of silence and calm.

siiri

January 20, 2018

Thank you. My favorite kind of MSC. Like those breaks of stillness in between the guidance.

Katie

August 9, 2017

Thanks over there, a helpful practise to extend my ability to self soothe independantly.

Esben

April 15, 2017

This works for me

Heinrich

December 2, 2016

Mir gefallen die langen stillen Intervalle.

Vince

August 8, 2016

Soft and gentle meditation, with minimal instruction. Much appreciated

Dr.

July 11, 2016

getting in touch with your breath...great experience..thank you...

Katie

July 6, 2016

A lovely quiet meditation with nice quiet pauses and attention to breath. A good basic meditation to keep coming back to. Thank you.

Frank

June 23, 2016

Nothing fancy, just meditation. Excellent for me.

Kate

June 22, 2016

Magnificent! For a hurting heart, it was a beautiful self-caring journey. Thank you.

Shawn

June 21, 2016

Simple and effective. Thank you!

Tim

June 21, 2016

Wonderful- lots of silent space between the clear guidance

More from Ottawa Mindfulness Clinic

Loading...

Related Meditations

Loading...

Related Teachers

Loading...
© 2025 Ottawa Mindfulness Clinic. All rights reserved. All copyright in this work remains with the original creator. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

How can we help?

Sleep better
Reduce stress or anxiety
Meditation
Spirituality
Something else