Tummy Breathing - 20 Minutes

This is a simple meditation. I'll invite you to focus your attention on the breath at the tummy, and bring you attention back to the breath when the mind wanders. Focusing on the breath in this way, low down and deep in the tummy, can sometimes help people feel a sense of calm and tranquillity. For some, longer meditations may lead to mental fatigue; stop if you feel discomfort.

Transcript

Welcome to this session where we're going to be exploring the breath sensations at the tummy area. Make sure that you're sat comfortably with a straight back if you can, And just gently closing your eyes, Maybe just seeing how the mind feels today. It could be a sense of busyness or distractedness in the mind, Lethargy perhaps, Just seeing what's happening for you in this moment without judgment if you can. Moving away from the mind and getting a sense of being grounded. Also, I invite you to relax into a sense of being supported by the ground beneath you, Noticing the weight and the heaviness of your body. Then moving away from the body and just spending a few moments listening out for any sounds that might be present in the room right now. There's no effort required here, Hearing really happens all by itself. Now just dropping your focus on hearing. I'll encourage you to focus on your breath today at the tummy area, So quite low down in the torso if you can. You don't need to control the breath in any way, Just allow the breath to unfold naturally and see how it impacts the tummy. For some people, They notice a sense of the tummy almost inflating on the inhale and then deflating on the exhale. Or a sense of the tummy expanding on the inhale and contracting on the exhale. If it helps you to focus on your breathing at the tummy area, You can use the anchors in the mind of here on the inhale and now on the exhale, Here on the inhale and now on the exhale. As always, No need to say this out loud, Just using them as anchors in the mind. Trying to be as kind to yourself as possible whenever the mind inevitably wanders as it always tends to during meditation practice. Just maintaining a positive attitude, Returning your attention to the breath at the tummy. Really getting a sense of how much happens at the tummy area with each breath cycle. It can sometimes feel quite comforting to focus on the breath at the tummy area, A sense of the breath being automatic, Effortless in some ways. Mind-wandering is only a problem if we let it bother us, Whereas if we can just accept that mind-wandering is a natural and inevitable part of meditation practice, It can hold far less sway over us. So maybe see how it feels to put a small smile on your lips, Smile in the mind and then reverting your attention back to the breath, Here and now at the tummy area. For the final minute or so of the session, Can you really tighten up your focus of your breathing at the tummy area, Imagining almost that this is the first breath you've ever noticed, Really being as curious as you can. And when you feel ready to, Letting go of all effort, Doing absolutely nothing for a few moments, Coming back to the room, Noticing any sounds that surround you, Check in with the mind as you did at the start of the session, How does the mind feel now compared to earlier. And when you feel ready to, Opening the eyes, Congratulate yourself for turning up to practice and have a great day.