MIDL 15min 03 / 20: 'Softening Into' Breathing

New to MIDL? 15 Minutes of Mindfulness is an introductory series to the MIDL 52 Mindfulness Meditation Trainings. 3/20 is the MIDL Mindfulness Training of the 'Softening Into' skill used for Mindful Non-participation with experienced unpleasantness to train the Second MIDL Pillar of Softening Into. Practice daily for one week before moving to the next exercise

Have a question? Insight Timer Group: MIDL Mindfulness in Daily Life with Stephen Procter. Private question? Send me a message.

Reviews

Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5. Day 6. Day 7.
1. Very relaxing as usual.
2. Wonderful
3. I managed to miss the end today. 🙈
4. Managed to only drift off once today and came right back.
5. No drifting off today. I felt like I had melted into my bed. 😇
6. Great. No drifting off. I must be getting the hang of it. 🙏

Thank you for a peaceful start to my day.

Im in love with how you teach us. Have a wonderful day too. Best whishes from Berlin, Germany

Thank you stephen

This was very good. I've always had problems with breath meditations because I seem to get off rhythm or short of air but this was much better. I think I can improve going forward 🙏

A great exercise in softening. Amazing how calm and centered it leaves me after just 15 minutes. I will come back to this often, when I don't have time for one of a longer meditation; it leaves me prepared for the day, or the next stecche of the day. Thank you once again for another addition to my toolchest.

Nice and deeply relaxing exercise

Enjoying this series. Simple and effective, no fluff. Gratitude for creating and sharing 🙏

Thank you 🌻💚🌞

A great way to start the day. Kept me totally engaged and still allowed for deep meditation
Feeling thankful

Beautiful, peaceful, practice 🙏

Wonderfully relaxing, calming and presence-bringing 😊

Very very relaxing!

Wonderfully relaxing, and informative to take throughout the day as a reference for peace and tranquillity.
Thank you Steven.

I was so peaceful and loved the calming effect of Stephen’s voice.

I find it helpful to return to this softening into lesson from time to time. Retraining mind and body takes time and commitment. Thank you, Stephen 🙏🏻

Loved the softening of my body - aches fell away. I began to feel like a pyramid. I will use my sits bones’ connection to the ground as a present moment awareness touchstone today.

I love your meditations. You are a great tepaches to me

Excellent guidance. Thank you Stephen! 🙏🏽

Excellent! Am trained in Zen Buddhism and am appreciative of your meditations, thank you!

Thank you again.

Thank you!

Thankyou 🙏

Very very good. Thanks again Stephen 🙏🏼

Another useful tool—thank you. I feel different, both physically and mentally, after practicing softening into. It’s always a surprise to see how mind state changes just by changing breathing. Thank you!

This is the third one in Stephen Proctor's program that I'm on and I have enjoyed this one most of all so far. It seems to be the hardest one for me but only because I've only done it once. So now I will continue on for the next few days and know that I'll be going on to number for because I will get this one. Thanks again

Thanks Stephen, this was another great meditation. I feel a lot more in tune with myself than I was 15 minutes ago. Have a great day 🙏🏾

Thank you very much for sharing this helpful breathing meditation for calming and relaxing the mind.🙏

Lovely calming voice, and perfect for a quick relaxation at the start of the day or the end.
Thank you 🙏😊

You are an amazing teacher, I feel like I’m achieving more and more progress as I follow the episodes and practice them weekly, as you suggest, before moving on to the next.

Thank you so much for sharing your gift with us. 🙏🏻✨

Great. Thank you

Thank you 🙏🏼 for pointing me to retrain on the Softening Into skills. I had success establishing deeper levels of tranquility for brief periods of time. I’ll practice this for few more days before going back to 6.
Was able to observe the habitual patterns of resistance in my mind that you referred.

I like how you add a little bit more every few minutes, without changing what we had just been doing very much. This reinforces the basics while still providing some guidance (which I still need it I wouldn’t be here!). Part 2 was a bit odd for me, but 1 and 3 (this one) are excellent and I’ll keep going!

My husband has severe anxiety and depression (he’s been hospitalised twice for it). He finds deep breathing very difficult. Do you have any advice about how he can develop his diaphragmatic breathing?

This is a an excellent series. Thank you. I discovered this on reddit when someone pointed you out as one of the top teachers on Insight timer.

Im in the 3rd consecutive day and loving it. Very helpfull, thanks a lot. 🌟

Allowed me to go deeper with my breath, really helpful. Thank you

Really helpful for finding deeper relaxation in my meditation. Thank you.

Very nice

🙏

Excellent breathing exercise

This is the best technique for difficult emotions, fear, anxiety and everyone should learn it cause the world will be a softer and kinder place :)

Thank you Stephen

Lovely

💤

Thank you for this lovely and calming session! I love your mindfulness meditations. They are te best!

The muscles in my shoulders get a bit painful, I think because of the hands resting under my belly button. Maybe I've to adjust my posture.

Hard work...all that breathing with a dreadful head cold, but beautiful sense of peace and stillness all the same. Looking forward to tomorrow.

He is always amazing.

Namaste.

With Grateful Thanks,
Namaste

One of my favorites of his so far

Great one!!❤️🙏

Perfect, simple breathing exercise I found very helpful. I have a natural tendency to breathe shallowly, so I found this quite beneficial for retraining my breathe. Will be returning!

In 03 of 20 some very useful information in learning about using the diaphragm to relax

Wonderful, thank you

Excellent.

What a beautiful way to start a new day, breathing and feeling so good..! Thank you so much for sharing, Stephen! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🌞

Since it's a new year, I'm going back to revisit one episode per week, in addition to continuing to move forward at the farthest episode I'm currently at. These 15 minute lessons are especially nice when I'm short on time in the morning, or when I have a little extra time in the afternoon. As always, the simple & concise guidance, coupled with a soothing voice, is perfect for me.

Very nice

Quiet peaceful voice and simple instructions.

Thank you

This program is fantastic, I see progress every day. Thank you

Perfect

Thank you for doing these series. These techniques are ones that any meditator should know and these meditations are a fantastic way to learn these proper techniques. Very much appreciated! 🌺🙏🌺

Really and truely relaxing. Thanks!

Namaste 🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼

Very calming and centering. Great instructions to focus on the feeling of the breath. Thank you.

Nice intro to mindfulness