The Power Of The Pause: Three Minute Breathing Space

This is a perfect mindfulness practice for caregivers that can be practiced moment to moment. Before entering the room of one who is sick or dying take a moment to check in.  You can repeat this practice as often as you need throughout your day--and it only takes about three minutes of time to bring yourself back to a place of awareness and compassion!

Transcript

Start this practice by tapping into your bodhicitta motivation.

Remember you do this for the benefit of all beings.

Step 1.

Awareness.

Adopt an alert and upright posture.

Align your spine.

Find the place of balance and ease in the body.

Take a moment to acknowledge your experience,

Your thoughts,

Feelings,

And body sensations.

Without comment,

Opinion,

Or judgment,

Just notice resting in an attitude of acceptance.

Step 2.

Gathering.

Redirect your awareness,

Your full attention to the sensations of breathing.

Notice how the breath feels as it enters the nostrils or the mouth.

How it feels as it travels through the body.

Notice the qualities of the breath,

The temperature,

The speed,

And strength of it.

Allow the breath to descend into the body so that the belly begins to rise and fall with the breath.

With the abdomen rising and falling with the breath,

Notate each breath,

Breathing in,

I know that I am breathing in.

Breathing out,

I know that I am breathing out.

Use the breath as an anchor to place your awareness and attention,

Rest and return to.

Experiencing.

Expand this awareness to the entire body,

To the environment.

Listen to all of the sounds around you.

Returning to the place where you are.

As you enter this moment,

Bring this more spacious awareness into the moment-to-moment experience of the day.

Refresh whenever possible.

Remember to dedicate the merit to the benefit of all beings.

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