Hello,
Welcome back.
I'm Sarah,
A somatic facilitator and coach,
Here to help you build nervous system resilience so you can live up to your fullest potential with ease and confidence.
I'll be guiding you through meditation.
Breath works.
Visualization and deep rest so that you can explore the pause between where you've been and where you're going.
Welcome to liminal space.
Today's episode is for when stress begins to take over.
When your mind is racing,
Your chest feels tight.
Life feels busy.
And your nervous system is quietly shifting into survival mode.
Without you realizing.
But today instead of trying to force calm.
We'll start to gently create it from the inside out through softness and tiny pauses in our breath.
And if you're interested in the physiology.
These mini pauses help to improve carbon dioxide tolerance and over time encourage the body to feel safer and more regulated.
Nothing intense or extreme.
These pauses are not about pushing or striving.
They are teaching the nervous system it's safe to soften.
So as we move through this short practice today,
Remember that less is more.
Be gentle and kind and curious as to what shifts when you handle yourself with care.
So take a moment to adjust your position.
You may change to be seated or change to lay down.
But wherever you land.
Invite presence.
Allow the space between your eyebrows to soften.
Your shoulders to drop.
Your jaw to unclench.
And your limbs to be heavy.
And then start to observe your breath.
From a place of non-judgement.
Non-attachment.
Where is the breath moving?
What's the speed of your breath?
Is the quality smooth and rhythmic.
And if possible Breathe in and out through your nose.
Not forced,
But so quietly that you can't even hear yourself breathing.
And then notice how this starts to signal safety to the body.
Stress changes the way we breathe before we even realize we're stressed.
So by gently pausing the breath as we'll do today.
We're building familiarity with stillness.
Inviting space to feel.
Without unconsciously reacting.
So start to feel the connection to your breath as the air fills the lungs.
From the bottom to the top.
The belly rises,
The ribs expand and the heart space gently moves.
And slowly exhaling.
Just stay with that connection to breath as you feel the air moving in and out of your body.
We'll start by breathing in for the count of four and out for the count of four.
For four breaths.
When you're ready.
Breathing in.
Three,
Four,
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Breathing in.
And out This time breathing in 2,
3,
4,
Pausing 2,
3,
Exhale 2,
3,
4 and again in pause and out.
Breathing in.
Pausing exhale.
.
.
Releasing all control of your breath.
And just allowing everything to find its rhythm,
Its pace.
And notice what's changed.
We'll do that again but this time we'll extend the exhale to the count of six.
So when you're ready Breathing in,
2,
3,
4.
Pause,
2,
3.
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
In,
Cause.
Exhale Release all control of your breath and just allow everything to find its rhythm again.
No control.
For this final round we'll try to extend the exhale a little longer after the pause,
But we'll do so gently releasing out through pursed lips.
I want you to think of your exhale leaving your body exactly like the air leaving a tiny hole in a balloon.
The air isn't forced out.
It slowly seeps through the hole.
If my pace doesn't work for you,
Please find your own.
So taking a slow breath in,
2,
3,
4.
Pausing,
2,
3,
Out,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Breathing Pause.
And out.
And then letting go of any authority over your breath.
And feel it return to its natural rhythm.
Notice what's shifted mentally,
Physically emotionally and energetically.
And don't seek the answers.
Just let them appear.
Even if there's not an obvious shift.
Know that taking this time to pause will have made a significant difference.
And you might not notice that straight away.
The breath is your anchor and changes your physiology from the inside out.
You can't always think your way out of certain situations,
But you can feel it from within.
And you can breathe through it.
If this practice supported you,
Please share it with someone that might find it useful too.
Or you can sign up to my newsletter at www.
Austincosmetic.
Com.
Liminalspace.
Uk Rest well,
And I'll see you next week.
