A Short Breath Sensing Practice For Anxiety And Stress

When we work with the breath, it's key to explore the thread of breath and its relationship to feelings and emotions, which links to thoughts and beliefs.

We see how difficult experiences can affect the mind, body, and breath, often disrupting the nervous system and causing people to be in a state of high alert. Because of traumatic and unpleasant experiences from the past, it may still have a negative effect on your health, well-being, and how you react to triggers and stresses. With practice, we can help to soothe and calm the nervous system using the breath. Working with breath sensing is very healing, and learning to lengthen the out-breath is very important. Working with a subtle, gentle out-breath can help to manage the reactive state and change how we feel about life and what happens to us.

Different breathing exercises support a healthy nervous system, but taking some time regularly to connect with the breath is something that supports good health and well-being.

Transcript

Short breath practice. Make yourself comfortable sitting or lying down with the eyes open or closed. Ready to do a short practice to connect with the breath. Natural tool to soothe yourself. To help you manage stress and anxiety. Stay calm and relax. At any time of the day, When you need it. Remember it is something that is always there to help to manage any difficult feelings and emotions. Let the body's weight drop. To feel supported by the surface you're resting on. Gravity and outbreath. Feel the sensation of the body. And the weight of the body going down underside. Ahead. The mouth. Lips, Shoulders. The arms. Trunk of the body. Hips and pelvis. The legs and the feet. Feel the whole body. The whole body is sensation. Start to become aware of the breath. And how the body is breathing. Just care if it is slow or fast, Deep or shallow. Slowly breathe out through the lips. As if you're breathing out through a straw. Even, Balanced and steady if you can. And just let an in-breath come in through the nose when you're ready. Without forcing it. An out-breath of pause. And in-breath or pause. If you feel anxious or stressed at any time. See if you can go with it. Don't fight it. And when you're ready, Slowly breathe out. Let in-breath come in through the nose. Without sucking it or pulling it in. If you can just let it come in naturally and effortlessly. Without farting the breath. Dancing with it. And the breath to slow down. Settle. Maybe getting a bit longer with each exhale. Nothing to force or fix. It settles you might find you can breathe in and out through the nostrils. There's any anxiety or you want to slow it down, Slow exhale through the lips. Get distracted, Just come back to focus. And feel the breath moment by moment. Sense the soothing qualities of the breath. Without forcing it. Looking for a smooth, Steady comfortable breath. It might be the opposite to that. Practice, See if you can allow it to be subtle, Spacious. Effortless. And regulate it. Always at the top and a pause at the bottom. Get distracted by something, Just come back to the breath. And go without breath. And the sensation of the body. The sensation of the breath. Curious if there is any tension in the body. Without trying to fight it or fix it. See if you can use the breath to dissolve it. Thoughts come and go. Feelings and emotions come and go. Sensations come and go. Keep coming back to the breath. The soothing, Comforting breath. It's always there for you. Manage any tension, Stress or anxiety, Just to stay present. To master it rather than react. That is always there as we come to the end of this practice. The breath is there as a tool to bring you into the moment. Help to connect to a calmness and a peacefulness. Natural self-soothing. This practice is complete. And you're ready with the toes, The fingers. Open and close the eyes. Stretch the body out. Reorientate yourself ready for the rest of your day.