Hi,
Welcome to this space of stillness and to this meditation to cultivate calm.
I'm Sarah and I'll be guiding you today.
Come to a seated or lying down position that's comfortable for you.
And close your eyes or soften your gaze,
Taking a moment to arrive here.
We'll begin by taking a deep breath in through the nose and a long breath out through the mouth.
Once again,
A deep breath in,
Feeling the chest and the belly rise and a slow breath out as they return.
Again,
One more big breath in and slow breath out.
In our modern busy lives,
Cultivating a sense of calm is an important practice to protect both our physical and our mental health.
Making it possible to think more clearly,
Regulate the nervous system and encourage high quality sleep.
Today we'll practice three simple techniques to cultivate a sense of calm.
We'll begin with a practice of clench and release.
With your hands resting,
Palms face up on your knees.
On your next breath in,
Make fists with your hands and squeeze as hard as you can.
Exhale and release your fists,
Letting your hands and arms relax.
Again,
Inhale and squeeze the fists,
Trying to keep all the tension in your arms and hands.
And exhale to let it go.
Continue like this for a few more breaths.
And now take a normal breath in and a normal breath out,
Letting that practice go.
Our next practice is called diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing.
Bring one hand to your chest and the other to your stomach.
Take a slow,
Long breath in through your nose,
Feeling the belly expand as you inhale.
To exhale,
Purse your lips and breathe out the mouth,
Almost like you're breathing through a straw.
Again,
Breathe in through the nose as the belly rises.
And breathe out through pursed lips as the belly falls.
Continue for a few more breaths,
Imagining releasing tension with each exhale.
And take a regular breath in and out as you let that practice go.
Our last practice today is called box breathing.
Here,
We'll take a breath in through the nose as we count to four.
Hold that breath for four counts.
Exhale for four.
And pause at the bottom for four counts before beginning again.
A note of caution here.
If you have a heart or respiratory condition,
Are pregnant or prone to fainting or dizziness,
Please modify this practice by leaving out the breath holding.
Instead,
Simply inhale for four and exhale for four.
If you choose to hold your breath and at any time the practice begins to make you less calm,
Practice slow,
Consistent breaths and do not hold your breath.
Inhale and exhale.
Now inhale for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold for one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Pause one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Pause one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold.
Exhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Pause.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold.
Exhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Pause.
Deep breath in.
Exhale a long breath out.
Allow your breathing to return to its natural rhythm.
Take these next few moments to check in with yourself.
How are you feeling?
Did any of these practices work for you?
What can you come back to the next time you want to feel a little calmer?
Bring one hand to your heart and the other to rest on top of it.
Take a deep breath in and exhale to bow your chin to your chest,
Sealing in this sense of calm.
Thank you for sharing your time and your practice with me today.
I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll meet you back here next time.
