Belly Chest Breath For Regulation

I feel so grateful for the winter season of Stillwater Meditation 2026. We have enjoyed 10 guided meditations in January - March, and this is #8. Created on the spot for a group of meditators online, we use conscious awareness for this loving and regulating breath practice. The benefits of emotional healing and stress reduction are explored as well as letting go, relaxation, anxiety release, and easing depression. Through this guidance, a sacred space is created where it is safe to say, "No," and embody the gift of healthy boundaries.

Transcript

With a deep breath in and out, I welcome you to take your two loving hands and allow them to be placed on your chest and belly. So one hand on chest and one hand on belly. And simply breathe, Noticing if your hands move, Noticing if your hands stay still. So in the beginning of breath work, I love to encourage awareness first. No need to change anything. Simply notice breath. Notice movement. Notice your relationship to breath. If your hands rise and fall with your breath, Notice if they are moving up or outward as you breathe in. And notice if your hands are moving inward or down as you breathe out. Relax your whole body as you breathe. Sink deeper and softer into whatever you are sitting or lying upon. Experiment with breathing only into your belly if you can. This would allow your belly hand to rise or move outward as you breathe in. And this would allow your hand to move inward or down as you breathe out. Now experiment with only a chest breath. This would mean that your chest hand rises up or moves outward as you breathe in. And the hand on your chest moves down or moves inward as you breathe out. Each of these practices engages the diaphragm in different ways. And to fully engage the diaphragm, We can experiment with a belly chest breath. This allows the belly hand to move outward first, And then the chest hand will either move outward or up. So it's a full belly, Full chest, And then both hands shrink down inward and relax. So breathe into your belly, Breathe into your chest, Relax everything. Belly, Chest, Relax. Keep up this breath for as long as you would like. And when you feel done with this kind of breath practice and breath control, Simply let it go and breathe naturally, Gently, And slowly. The belly breath releases anxiety. The chest breath releases depression. And both together, The belly, Chest, Breath allow for regulation. Regulation of the nervous system and regulation of the mind. Regulation of the emotions. And the belly, Chest breath allows for a greater sense of well-being because a relaxation response is triggered physiologically. This relaxation response is the rest that helps with the tiredness that can be chronic. The relaxation mechanism inside of us when there is a physiological response of relaxing. This relaxation gives us rejuvenation and healing. Give yourself permission to breathe in a regulated and conscious way. Give yourself permission to rest. Honor how tired you are and rest. Give yourself permission to say no to anything that gets in the way of your relaxation and your regulation. No. No, I am not doing that. I am not doing that right now. No, I will not do that. It is okay and healthy to have boundaries and to have access to the word, No. The statement, The declaration, No. The regulating breath can help ease the monkey mind where we think so many things all at once. Breathe and let go. Breathe and notice. Breathe and rest. Give yourself permission to fully rest. Allow yourself to recover. This is your time, Your sacred space. Use it well. Use this time and space just right for you. Very gently notice how you are right now. Notice your body, Mind, Heart, Spirit. Consider what creative gift of love and support you might give to the world or yourself or other people, A specific person. Consider what creative gift of love and support you would like to offer.