Daily Awareness Building Practice (MBCT)

This 4-minute practice from the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) program is called the 3-step Breathing Space. It is a brief practice that can be done 2-3 times a day to create moments of space, helping you rebalance and recenter. With regular practice, it can enhance your self-awareness and mindfulness skills, fostering a deeper sense of inner balance and peace over time.

Transcript

Three-step breathing space.

This is a brief practice to step out of your automatic pilot mode and bring yourself into a more present and connected way of being.

So inviting you to find a posture that is helpful,

Perhaps bringing your back a little more upright.

If you'd like to close your eyes,

You can close your eyes or just lower your gaze.

And now inviting you to bring your attention to your experience right now,

Just as it is.

And inviting in an attitude of kindness and non-judging.

So just noticing what thoughts are going through your mind right now.

What are you saying to yourself?

What feelings are showing up right now?

Maybe noticing certain emotions or a general sense of excitedness or tiredness.

And without judging,

Whatever is there is fine.

And noticing what body sensations are present right now.

Just scanning briefly the body to notice any sensations that are present,

Perhaps tightness or a comfort or a temperature.

And just noticing no matter what it is,

Without judging,

Allowing whatever is here right now just to be as it is.

And now inviting you to let go of that and gently bring your attention to the breath.

So we're going to narrow our attention down to the sensations of the breath,

If that feels right.

And if the breath is not right for you right now,

You can sense your hands or the palms of your hands or the sensations at the bottom of your feet.

Just finding one specific area of focus.

And if you're with the breath,

Just noticing the breath however it is right now in your body.

No need to change or adapt it.

Just noticing the sensations of the breath as the air comes in and out of your body.

And this breath or each in-breath,

Maybe using that as an anchor or a way to draw your attention inward.

And now with your mind a little more settled,

Letting go of the breath and expanding your field of awareness around and beyond your breathing.

So including the whole body,

Including your posture,

Your facial expression.

Opening your awareness now out to the whole body and the space you take up wherever you are right now.

And inviting you to bring this awareness into the next moments of your day.