Welcome.
This is a meditation for Oxygen Mask Meditation.
Meditation and yoga for parents and caregivers of special needs children.
Take just a moment to find a place where your body can be comfortable and supported.
Allow yourself to sit and make sure you have adequate back support,
Support for your feet and hands.
And then if you're comfortable with the eyes closed,
Go ahead and close your eyes.
Take a moment to really notice being inside of your body simply by just noticing your breath.
Feel yourself inhale.
Feel yourself exhale.
With that noticing that awareness of breath begin to focus on breathing in through your nose and out through your nose.
And as you do this,
Notice thoughts,
Notice images,
Things coming into the mind.
And every time that happens,
Just bring your mind,
Your awareness back to your breath.
The key is to not fight the thoughts,
To befriend the thoughts and just take your attention or simply your awareness back to the act of breathing in and out through your nose.
And if it helps you,
Begin to give your breath a rhythm or a pattern so that as you inhale,
Breathe in for a count of four and as you exhale,
Take it out for a count of four.
Breathing equally in through your nose and out through your nose,
Allowing your parasympathetic nervous system to begin to activate that part of your body that wishes for you to go into rest and digest.
Any time a thought begins to come into the mind,
Simply rest your awareness on the breath.
Maybe even focusing on the number you've chosen in for four,
Out for four,
Or even longer if you like in for five,
Out for five.
But just keep it very simple,
In through your nose and out through your nose.
You may again notice outside noises,
Distractions,
The sound of my voice.
Just come back to your breath.
And if you'd like to,
You may begin to lengthen your exhales just a bit longer than your inhales.
Perhaps inhaling in for a count of four and exhaling out for a count of six.
If at any time that begins to feel straining or difficult,
Simply go back to the even inhale,
The even exhale.
The even inhale and exhale will also continue to allow the parasympathetic nervous system to begin to activate.
Lengthening the exhales out a little bit longer than your inhales will do the same thing.
Just allowing the mind to rest on the simple act of counting the breath or just the sensation of feeling the breath moving in and out through the nose.
Again,
As you experience any type of distraction,
Simply allow.
Do not fight it.
Do not try to change your thoughts.
Just go back to counting,
Counting your breath,
Noticing your breath until you forget that you're actually just counting,
Just focusing.
As soon as you forget,
Just return.
Continuing to notice,
Continuing to breathe easily,
Mindfully in through the nose and out through the nose.
If you are taking your exhales out longer than your inhales,
Begin to transition back to even inhales and even exhales.
Just choosing a number you can stay with that does not feel like straining.
Calling your attention and your energy back.
Take a big inhale in through your nose and hold the breath in for just a moment,
Feeling that energy,
And then a long,
Slow exhale,
A sigh out through the mouth,
Feeling the body relax and soften.
As you're ready,
One more big inhale in through the nose,
Holding the breath in for just a moment,
And then opening the mouth,
Letting out a big sigh,
Releasing,
Going back to your breath in and out through the nose.
You're welcome to simply stay here and enjoy the breath for as long as you like.
Thank you so much for meditating.
