Affectionate Breathing (MSC)

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.

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.

Reviews

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

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

Lovely. Lots of silence and calm.

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

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