A Simple Practice - Counting Your Breaths

This technique uses perhaps our easiest and hardest anchor, the breath. By finding your own count, you can start to relieve stress and reactivity (sympathetic state) so you can feel connected once again with your mind and body.

If you enjoyed this technique, you might also find these helpful:
A Simple Practice - Figure Of 8
A Simple Practice - Loving Kindness

Everyday Mindfulness - Less Stress, More You.

Transcript

Welcome to the simple practice. Today we're going to meditate by counting the breath. Simple practices are here for you if you're just feeling out of sorts and meditation is calling but you're not sure quite what to do or if you're new and you're exploring different techniques that help you connect to the present moment. So when you're ready close your eyes, Take a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth and let yourself settle wherever you are with a straight spine, Feet connected to the floor, Shoulders loose, Breath rhythmic and just start to watch the breath. Where do you feel it the most strongly? Is it in the movement of your stomach expanding out, Dropping back in? How about your chest? Can you feel it there as your breath expands your ribs? Maybe it's in your throat with the movement or at the tip of your nose as the air passes in and out as you breathe. Find the spot that is most strong to you, The one that you can feel the most and now we're going to begin to count and don't forget the mind will wander so start back at one, There's no shame in that, We all have to do it. This is the art of meditation, The mind drifting and coming back, That's what we're here for, Not for a silent mind but to show it that it can come back to the present and we're going to build that strength with counting. So as you breathe in count one and as you breathe out count two, As you breathe in count three and as you breathe out count four and if your mind has wandered that's okay start back at one. If you're still with me, Breathing in is five, Breathing out is six, Breathing in is seven, Breathing out is eight, Breathing in is nine, Breathing out is ten and now we start again. Breathing in is one, Breathing out is two and if you've got distracted that's okay, Just begin at number one again, Breathing in is one, Breathing out is two and if you reach ten just start again. No need to change or adapt your breath, We're just counting them as a way of connecting the body and mind together. Breathing in one, Breathing out two, Breathing in three, Breathing out four, Breathing in, Breathing in. Fantastic, Well done. I hope you enjoy the practice of counting your breaths and I hope you will join me shortly for another simple practice.