The three-step breathing space facing difficulties.
So in this practice we have the intention of recognizing and acknowledging what's happening right now.
And in particular our reaction to any difficulty that has shown up for us.
As best we can we practice turning towards the difficulty with gentleness,
With kindness.
We practice allowing,
Softening and as best we can accepting whatever is here for us right now.
Even though that may be unpleasant and difficult.
So when we find ourselves troubled by difficult emotions or sensations or thoughts.
We can practice stepping out of Automatic Pilot,
Stepping out of our reactivity and choosing to practice this breathing space as a way to help us reconnect with our center,
Our stability.
And just allow us to find a new way of relating to our difficulty.
So in step one,
Awareness,
We bring ourselves into the present moment by deliberately choosing to come to a seated or standing posture.
Feeling all the stability of the mountain even as the weather of our difficulty comes around.
Asking ourselves what's going on in this moment.
What's happening for me right here right now?
Noticing,
Acknowledging,
Identifying what's here for me now.
Observing our inner experience and noticing what's happening with body sensations,
Thoughts and emotions.
Describing maybe our experience in words,
Labeling them feelings of anger here.
Judging thoughts are here.
Self-critical thinking is here.
And then whenever we're ready,
Moving on to step two,
Where we gather our attention.
So we bring our full attention on to the breathing or onto our anchor in the present moment.
Experiencing each in-breath and each out-breath as it rolls in and rolls out.
We might find a grounding to count the breathing,
So noting,
Breathing in one.
Breathing out one.
Breathing in two.
Breathing out two.
And so on.
And whenever we lose count,
Whenever our mind wanders off,
Simply starting again,
Just beginning again,
Coming back to the breath as our anchor.
Maybe it's just one word we need to note with.
In,
Out.
Feeling those sensations as we find a word that helps us connect with the breath,
The actual sensations of breathing in and out.
Allowing the breath to be our anchor,
To be our refuge,
To bring us back into the present moment and into this state of awareness.
And then whenever we're ready,
Moving on to step three,
Where we expand our awareness.
So expanding the awareness around the breathing to the whole body.
Feeling all the edges of our shape,
Where the clothes meet the skin.
Going deeper into the very core of the body.
If we find any tension or tightness,
Can we take the breath there and breathe into these sensations?
Allowing the breath to be our vehicle to the present,
To ease,
To acknowledging and accepting what's here.
We don't have to like it.
We just simply practice being with it as best we can as we exhale,
Allowing a sense of softening,
Opening,
Letting go.
Maybe making a soft fist with the hand as we inhale.
Exhaling,
Softening,
Opening out the hand,
Letting go.
If it feels helpful,
Maybe saying to yourself,
It's okay,
Let me feel it.
It's okay to feel whatever's here.
Gently and kindly tuning in and feeling the body sensations as best you can while holding all in this expanded awareness,
The sense of the whole body.
Rooted here.
And whenever you're ready,
As best you can,
Bringing this expanded awareness into the next moments of your day.
And carrying on holding any difficulty,
Any difficult experience in this wide or whole body awareness when we notice them.
Rather than being stuck in the mind ruminating.
Taking some time to enjoy the other aspects of our being.
Ones that are helpful.
Ones that are pleasant.
They're here too.
The three-step breathing space facing difficulties is complete.
