Affectionate Breathing

One of the core practices from the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program. Bringing compassion to the wandering mind and warmth and appreciation for the nourishment of the breath. This practice is a warming up of mindful breathing via increased awareness of the way the breath is always caring and nourishing us.

Transcript

Welcome to this practice of affectionate breathing. Taking a moment to connect up with the physical body. Sensing into the posture that you've chosen, The contact points perhaps with the chair or the floor. Sensing into the way to view firmly connected here thanks to gravity. And as best you can softening and surrendering to being healed in this posture that you've chosen. And placing your hands over your heart or wherever it is that is most soothing for you, And allowing this physical gesture to deepen the intention for this practice to be held in affectionate awareness. A reminder of bringing that warm affectionate awareness to our experience throughout the whole of this practice. And now either keeping the hands there or letting them softly fall back into your lap. And then moving the attention inwards to feeling the breath in your body. And perhaps taking a few deeper than usual breaths to make this really quite easy to feel the breath. Being curious about where the breath is most easefully felt for you in this moment. And then allowing your attention to simply rest in this part of the body. Rest with feeling the rhythm of your breath. Being really curious about this. So feeling into the in-breath and feeling into the out-breath. Nothing to do here. The body knows how to breathe. Simply allowing your affectionate attention to rest with feeling the body being breathed. Feeling the rising and falling of the breath in your body. The body gently being moved with this rising and falling. Similar to the sea. The rising and falling thanks to the tides of the ocean. Feeling into the breath moving in and out. And when you notice the mind has wandered including it in this practice of affectionate awareness. So with that same natural care and patience that you would with a young child or a wee puppy. Gently directing the attention back to feeling the breath each time you notice the mind's wandered. Gently bringing the attention back to feeling the breath in the body. Feeling your body being breathed. As best you can letting the body breathe itself. Understanding how the breath naturally nourishes the body. Getting a sense of this nourishing the body on the in-breath and soothing and settling the body on the out-breath. Enjoying breathing. And when the mind wanders we get to practice warmly inclining towards our breath once again. The more it wanders the more we get to practice. Warmly being with the inward breath and warmly being with the outward breath. And perhaps being curious about any pause in between this breathing. In between the out-breath or the in-breath. And opening up to the gentle ways in which the breath moves your body. Perhaps ever so slightly. But opening and allowing the body to be gently rocked by the breath. Gently moved by the breath. Like a child being soothed and caressed by a gentle rocking. And as you're sensing into the breath and the body if at any time you feel that there is that sense of tightening or trying too hard with this practice. Simply dropping the practice and feeling into the body seated here. The weight of you firmly grounded and connected to the earth. The height of you rising upwards towards the sky. So allowing yourself that fresh start at any time during this practice. Perhaps listening to sounds or sensing into those contact points with the chair or the floor. The experience of the touch of your hand either on your legs or your heart wherever you've placed it. So looking after yourself during this practice of affectionate awareness. And if it feels okay for you when you're ready returning to feeling the breath. Opening up to returning like you're going home. So inclining towards being with the breath in a way that makes you feel a sense of ah I've arrived home. A sense of settling. Feeling into the natural rhythm of your breath. That ongoing life-giving flow. The inward breath. Nothing to be done just a natural following by the outward breath. Ongoing life-giving flow. Enjoying connecting to this flow. And giving oneself over to this flow of the breath and becoming the breath. Feeling into being the breath. Flowing in and flowing out. Feeling into the natural rhythm of your breath. And releasing the practice now and taking a moment to savor the stillness deep within your body. Your inner self. You're keeping yourself fresh and ventilated by the hell of the breath. Thanks for watching!

Reviews

A complete treat thanks Tina. “The more the mind wanders the more you get to practice”💜

Thank you Tina. I always find your guided meditation very soothing and centring.

Thanks Tina a moment of calm and peace before an MSC session 2 😌🙏

Wonderful, beautiful meditation. Soothing and inviting. Thank you.

Love the long pauses. ❤️🙏🏻✌🏼