Welcome to Take Your Coaching Guided Meditation.
Today we will practice belly breathing.
This is a fundamental stress management skill as breathing more deeply from your belly helps to increase oxygen to your body,
Decrease your heart rate and blood pressure,
And even stimulate your immune system.
To start,
Get into a comfortable meditation position.
Once settled,
I'd like you to place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
Close your eyes and breathe normally.
Notice whether your chest or belly rises when you breathe in.
If your belly doesn't expand,
Try to make a conscious effort to push your belly out when you breathe in as best you can.
Everything takes practice,
So please try to be patient and kind with yourself as you learn this belly breathing technique.
As we go through this meditation,
If it's helpful to you,
You can keep one hand on your chest and the other on your belly,
So you can make sure you're directing your breath to your belly.
You can also let your hands rest comfortably in your lap.
Do whatever works best for you.
Focus on your breathing for a few moments again.
Just be aware of your breath as it moves in and out of your body.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose.
In a few moments,
We're going to practice belly breathing by really sending your breath to your belly by counting for a count of three.
When I say you're going to breathe in for a count of three and out for a count of three,
When you're ready,
Breathe in,
One,
Two,
Three,
And now out,
One,
Two,
Three.
Breathe in,
One,
Two,
Three,
And out,
One,
Two,
Three.
Count silently on your own,
Really directing your breath to your belly.
If you still have one hand on your belly,
You should feel your hand rising and falling as you inhale and exhale.
Now let's breathe more deeply.
Breathe in,
One,
Two,
Three,
And now hold your breath,
One,
Two,
Three,
And breathe out,
One,
Two,
Three.
Breathe in,
One,
Two,
Three.
Hold your breath,
One,
Two,
Three,
And breathe out,
One,
Two,
Three.
Continue on your own.
As you count to yourself,
Really notice your breath.
Is the air going into your chest or is it going to your belly?
Keep breathing in for three,
Hold for three,
And out for three.
Now let's add on.
Breathe in,
One,
Two,
Three,
Hold,
One,
Two,
Three.
Breathe out,
One,
Two,
Three,
Hold your breath again,
One,
Two,
Three.
Now breathe in,
One,
Two,
Three,
Hold your breath,
One,
Two,
Three.
Breathe out,
One,
Two,
Three,
Hold your breath again,
One,
Two,
Three.
Continue on your own,
Breathing in for a count of three,
Holding your breath for a count of three,
Out for three,
And hold again for three.
Now you're welcome to stop counting and just continue to breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly.
And feel your body relax as you take these nourishing deep breaths.
As this meditation comes to a close,
I encourage you to practice this belly breathing exercise throughout your week,
Perhaps on your commute to work or if you're having trouble falling asleep at night.
When you're ready,
You can start to move your fingers and toes and gently blink your eyes open,
Taking a stretch if you need to.
Thank you for meditating with Take Care Coaching.
Have a great rest of your day or evening.
Take care.
