The Full Breath (3 Part Breath)

Somewhere along the way most of us stopped taking a full breath. Long hours sitting, a stomach held in, a stretch of stress that never quite resolved, and the breath climbs into the chest and stays there.
This is a longer practice on the three-part breath, with time at the start to properly arrive. The belly fills first, which is the diaphragm doing the job it was built for. Then the ribs, widening to the sides and into the back, a movement most people have never felt. Then the chest takes the last of the air, without reaching for it. The exhale is left unstructured. No sequence, no count. You let it go and let the pause be whatever length it wants.
A slow, low, unhurried breath tells the nervous system there's no emergency, and the body answers. The pace settles and the holding softens.
Good first thing in the morning, or in the evening when you need to put the day down.

Transcript

Welcome. So this is a short 10 minute guided three part breath practice. Really useful practice for improving breathing mechanics. And feeling the effects of a full, Slow, Low breath. So to begin, I invite you to either lie down or be seated, Whatever feels best for you today. Gently close down the eyes. Close the mouth. We're going to be breathing in and out through the nose for the remainder of today's practice. Now you can start by just paying attention to your breath as it is. Noticing without judgment whether it's fast or slow. Whether it's short or long. Noticing whether it's shallow or deep. Now I'm going to invite you to place one of your hands on your belly. And breathing in through the nose, Start to feel the breath coming down into your hand. Then just letting that breath go. So nice full inhale, The belly comes out. An easy exhale, No force, Belly comes back in. Inhale, Belly comes out. Exhale, The breath gently leaves, Belly comes in. Just continue with a couple more of those breaths with a focus on the belly. With this we engage the diaphragm more. We send signals. To the body and mind, We're safe. That we can slow down. That we can be here. Now continuing with this low and slow breath. I want to invite you to bring your two hands to your lower ribs. And now start to feel how your ribs are involved with each breath. As you breathe in, You'll notice your ribs come out and up. And as you exhale, You'll notice the ribs come down and in. So breathing in, The ribs come out and up Exhaling the ribs come down and in. And just continue with this for a few more breaths, Noticing. The breath coming into the sides and the back of the body the movement of the ribs with each breath. Now I invite you to place one hand on the belly and one on the chest, Maybe up around the collarbones And to now feel the breath first in the belly. Then in the ribs. And finally gently climbing up into the chest and then again just letting that breath go Feeling the belly. The ribs. The chest. And letting go. Bali. The ribs. The chest. And letting go. And just continuing like this, Let it be easy. Gentle. Slow. Now maintaining this three-part breath. I invite you to slow it down so that each inhale is about six seconds and each exhale about the same six seconds. Breathing in for six. Breathing out for six. In for six. Out for six. And continuing like this. If 6 feels a lot, Just scaling it back to 5 or to 4. With just an even breath on the inhale and the exhale. And breath it slow and low. And feeling the breath in the belly, The ribs. The back, The chest. A full breath. The mind wanders, Just gently coming back to that feeling, Belly, Ribs, Chest. Gently letting go. Maybe just notice if anything is changing in the body or mind as you Take this slow, Full inhale. Then exhale. Does anything soften or slow? Staying with this for another couple of breaths. Enjoying how it is to breathe fully, The belly, The ribs, The chest Not forcing the exhale, Just allowing it to leave. Last few breaths, Belly, Ribs, Chest. And now gently starting to let that go. Allowing your breath to find its natural pace, Rhythm, Depth. It can be interesting to know where you default to. Take some time here. Again, Noticing if anything has changed in the body. Or the mind after this. 10 minute practice. Might choose to start to bring some movement back in, Fingers and toes, Wrists and ankles, Just gently moving the body with awareness And then slowly in your own time when you feel ready, You gradually open the eyes. Orientate with your space. That's the end of today's practice.