Digital Culture Club Practice Mindfulness Meditation Welcome to this 15 minute mindful breathing exercise.
My name is Tobias and I invite you to find a comfortable position sitting on a chair or lying down on the floor.
Allow your body to stay alert and choose to gently close your eyes or keep them open with a soft gaze.
Take a moment to notice how your body feels right now.
There is no need to change anything,
Simply observe the sensations present in your body.
Now bring your attention to your breath,
Notice the natural rhythm of breathing,
Don't try to change it,
Just observe it as it is.
Feel the air as it enters through your nostrils or mouth.
Notice the sensation of your chest or belly rising with each inhale and falling with each exhale.
If your mind starts to wander,
That's perfectly normal.
When you notice this happening,
Gently guide your attention back to your breath without judgment.
As you continue to breathe,
Try to deepen your awareness.
Notice the temperature of the air as you breathe in and out.
Notice the pacing of your breath,
Notice the depth of breathing.
Are you breathing into your chest or belly?
Now let's try counting our breaths.
Silently count 1 as you inhale and 2 as you exhale.
Continue this pattern up to 10,
Then start over at 1.
Remember,
If you lose count,
Simply begin at 1.
If you find your mind wandering,
Acknowledge the thoughts without judgment,
Then gently return your focus to your breath and the counting.
Now let go of the counting and return to simply observing your breath.
Notice any changes in your breathing since we began.
Has it become slower or deeper?
Let's explore another aspect of our breath.
As you breathe in,
Silently say to yourself,
Breathing in,
I am aware that I am breathing in.
As you breathe out,
Silently say,
Breathing out,
I am aware that I am breathing out.
Continue with this practice,
Staying present with each in-breath and out-breath.
If your mind wanders,
Gently bring it back to the breath and these phrases.
Now let's shift our attention to the pauses between breaths.
Notice the brief moment of stillness after you exhale before your next inhale begins and the pause at the top of your inhale before you start to exhale.
As you observe these pauses,
See if you can let go of any tension or holding in your body.
Allow your breath to flow naturally without forcing or controlling it.
As we approach the end of this practice,
Take a moment to appreciate the time you've given yourself to cultivate mindfulness today.
Gradually,
Bring your awareness back to your surroundings.
Notice the sounds around you,
The feeling of the surface supporting you.
Slowly bring back some movement into your body,
Starting with the feet,
The fingers and the hands,
The shoulders and the head.
When you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes and take a deep breath.
Thank you for practicing mindfulness today.
Remember,
You can return to your breath anytime during the day to find a moment of calm.
