Welcome to this breathing meditation,
A chance for you to take a pause,
Reset,
And return to the present moment by observing your breath.
When talking about the power of the breath,
Dr.
Patricia Gerbarg said,
It can change our emotional states,
How we think,
And how we interact with the world.
Before we begin,
Let's take a few moments to settle in.
Find a comfortable position that honors your body.
This may be sitting with a tall,
Straight back,
Letting your hands rest naturally in your lap,
Or if it's more comfortable,
You can lie down during our practice.
When you are ready,
I invite you to gently close your eyes,
Or keep your eyes open with a soft downward gaze.
Now let's get centered by taking three deep,
Slow breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Breathing in calm,
Breathing out tension,
Breathing in peace,
Breathing out worry,
Breathing in stillness,
Breathing out stress.
Return to your natural breath,
And as you focus on your breathing,
Notice where you detect your breath the most in your body.
This may be in your chest,
Belly,
Or in the area around your nostrils.
Remember,
You are not trying to change your breath,
You are just observing it as it is in the present moment.
If thoughts or feelings come up,
Recognize you are experiencing them,
Release them,
And gently return to your breath again and again.
Use the breath as your anchor,
It is always here for you.
As you continue to breathe,
Notice your body filling with air all the way to the top of your breath,
Observing the pause at the end of the inhale,
Feeling the release of your breath as it leaves your body on the exhale.
Allow each exhale to help you sink deeper into your cushion or chair,
To sink deeper into this moment,
Deeper into a state of calm and stillness.
Life can be challenging.
This practice helps us to use our breath to move ourselves through difficult moments and toward well-being.
In times of stress,
It can be difficult to remember to take a pause,
Breathe,
And allow whatever thoughts or feelings arise to just be.
Buddhist monk and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh advises,
Whenever your mind becomes scattered,
Use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.
As we close our practice,
Keeping your eyes closed or with a downward gaze,
Stay in your current position or I invite you to bring your palms together at your forehead as a reminder that everything starts with your thoughts.
They influence your words,
Actions,
And energy.
Bringing your palms together at your lips as a reminder to speak kindly and truthfully over yourself and others.
And bringing your palms together at your heart as a reminder to be gentle with yourself as you navigate life's challenges.
Gently return your attention to your breath.
Take one last deep inhale through the nose and an open mouth exhale.
Begin to gently wiggle your fingers and toes.
And when you are ready,
Return back to the room,
Open your eyes or lift your gaze.
Take this present moment awareness with you throughout your day.
Thank you for joining me and I will see you next time.
