Welcome to the Soothing Breathing Rhythm practice.
The important point to remember with this practice is to not see it as merely a form of relaxation,
But instead see this breathing practice as a way of feeling the body becoming more solid and grounded as you sit in your chair.
A way of steadying the body and connecting with your inner stillness and calmness via the Soothing Breathing Rhythm.
Firstly tending to your posture,
Taking care that the soles of your feet are flat on the floor and your back is rising up straight from your seat so your body is comfortable yet still reflects your intention to pay attention for the next 10 minutes or so.
Gently invite the eyes to close and create a gentle facial expression,
One of friendliness like you would if you were to greet another being that you love and care for.
Invite the facial muscles to relax further by letting your jaw soften and your mouth turn up into a slight smile.
Now focus on feeling your breathing.
On the air coming in through your nostrils,
Down into your lungs,
Pausing there for a short time and then noticing how the breath leaves once again by your nostrils.
So feeling your breath,
Noticing the movement of your diaphragm with the gentle rhythm of each breath.
And as best you can stay with the entire in-breath counting its duration.
Notice the slight pause and then stay with the entire out-breath counting its duration.
And perhaps noticing the slight pause at the end here also.
For the development of a soothing breathing rhythm,
First practice balancing the length of the in and the out-breath.
No need to rush either.
Once you have the rate equal,
Begin to breathe slightly more slowly and slightly more deeply,
Just within your own state of calm and your own felt sense of balance.
The in-breath can be around three to five seconds,
Whatever feels most comfortable for you.
So after the in-breath,
There is often a brief still quiet pause and then followed by the equal out-breath and then the still quiet pause once again before the next in-breath.
So taking the time to find a breathing pattern that is comfortable for you and has a gentle rhythm to it,
Giving you the feeling of slowing down.
Experimenting to find this slow comfortable rhythm is the key.
Notice how your body responds to your breathing as if you are linking up with a rhythm within your body that is soothing and calming for you.
Notice how this links to your friendly facial expression.
And be curious about any other felt sensations in the body,
Perhaps feeling more solid,
Still and grounded.
During this practice,
Your mind may wander off to thoughts,
Which is totally natural and okay.
You're not attempting to get rid of thoughts.
You're not striving to do anything in fact,
Besides focusing on the soothing breathing rhythm.
So no need to get involved with thoughts,
Just let them move freely.
And gently guide your attention to be with awareness of your body and breathing,
Sensing If at any time you find that the focus on the breath is causing tension,
You can move the focus to the body,
The body grounded in its physical posture,
Returning to the awareness of the contact points,
The pressure of where the body rests in the chair,
The feet on the floor or the hands in the lap.
You may wish to include awareness of the space around you.
