Sit in a comfortable position.
You can keep your eyes open or close your eyes however you're comfortable.
Rest your hands comfortably in your lap.
Either palms up for more energy or palms down for grounding.
Give yourself a few moments to relax your body from head to toe.
Let yourself sink into the chair or the cushion.
Soften your belly.
Inhale slowly through the nostrils.
Feel your abdominal area first and then the chest cavity and then the clavicle area.
Slowly breathing in expanding your body.
Visualizing expanding your body 360 degrees as you inhale.
Once your lungs are completely filled hold the breath for a second or two.
Press the shoulders back and expand the chest out so the pressure of the breath on the diaphragm can be felt.
As you exhale,
Exhale slowly through the nostrils beginning with the clavicle area then the chest cavity and then the abdominal area contracting your navel toward your spine and clearing your lungs completely.
And after the exhale hold the breath out for a few seconds.
Continue this long slow deep breath.
Holding the breath for a few seconds at the top of the inhale and holding the breath for a few seconds at the bottom of the exhale without forcing your breath.
Continue to see and visualize expanding your lungs 360 degrees as if you have a basketball in your chest that you're inflating with the inhale and deflating with the exhale.
Continue with your long slow deep breath keeping the length of the inhale and the length of the exhale equal.
You can do this by counting three two one on the inhale followed by a pause and three two one on the exhale followed by a pause at whatever pace is comfortable for you.
Matching the length of the inhale with the length of the exhale and pausing for a count one or two between breaths.
Notice how long slow deep breaths changes the energy in your nervous system activating that parasympathetic rest and digest part of your nervous system.
Now you can return your breath to its natural rhythm and simply bear witness to how you breathe naturally.
Notice the pause between breaths.
Notice if the length of your inhale matches the length of your exhale.
Notice the slightly cooler air through the nose on the inhale and slightly warmer air through the nostrils on the exhale.
Without changing or controlling your breath just bear witness to your natural rhythm.
Notice where in your body you feel your breath most predominantly.
Feel it as a sensation of movement,
A sensation of temperature,
Or even a sensation of sound.
Now shift your attention off the breath onto the body.
And simply notice how it feels to sit in this space.
And gently begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
And take some deeper breaths.
If you need to stretch or shift your position you can do so mindfully.
And if you've closed your eyes when you're ready you can open them.
Throughout your day you can access the breath as a way to ground yourself in the present moment and shift the energy from fight or flight to rest and digest.
In short,
We are all in this space.
What more can you ask for?
