Breathing has a huge impact on how you feel.
When you're stressed,
You instinctively begin taking shallower,
Faster breaths.
Deeper,
Slower breaths trigger a relaxation response in the body.
Sometimes it's possible to be so out of touch with your body that you don't even realize how you're breathing.
This meditation is going to bring your awareness to your breath in the body.
It will help you relax while also reconnecting body and mind.
Start by lying down either on a bed or the floor.
Put a pillow under your head,
Cover up with a blanket,
Whatever you need to do to feel comfortable.
Once you're comfortable,
Take a couple of minutes to just breathe naturally.
Don't try to control it or change it and don't pay a lot of attention to it.
Just breathe.
Start to bring your attention to your breath where it enters the body.
Feel the sensation of cooler air entering your nostrils.
Feel the warmth at the tip of your nose as you exhale.
Notice the difference in temperature.
Notice the length of each inhale and exhale.
Are they the same length or is one longer than the other?
Move your attention to your throat.
See if you can feel the air flowing down your throat and back up.
You may only notice the difference in temperature or you may feel the air itself.
Place one hand on your belly and begin taking deeper breaths.
Breathe into your belly,
Lifting it beneath your hand.
Exhale fully,
Dropping your belly.
Notice how the rise and fall of your belly feels.
Breathe deeply,
Filling your belly and lungs with air.
Notice the difference in how you feel when you breathe deeply this way.
Turn your attention to your ribcage.
As you draw air in,
Your ribcage expands.
This creates space in your chest.
As you release air,
Your ribcage contracts back in and this reduces the space in your chest.
See if you can feel your ribcage expanding and contracting as you breathe.
Try changing your breathing from slow and deep to shallow and fast and then back again.
See if you can feel the difference in your ribcage.
Try to note the precise moments when your ribcage begins the outward expansion and inward contraction.
Move your attention a little higher to your sternum and clavicle or collarbone.
Broaden your attention to take in the belly,
Ribcage and collarbone.
Notice the rhythm they have.
Which one rises first?
Second?
Last?
Which one falls first?
Second?
Last?
How much time is there between the rise of one area and the next?
Between the fall of each?
When we pay attention to the breath,
We're often focused on a frontward projection of it.
It comes in and out through our nose on our face.
It lifts our belly or chest both on the front of the body.
But the breath inhabits the body in so many other ways that we often neglect to realize.
Take a moment now to turn your attention to the sides of your body.
See if you can notice how your sides move with the breath.
If you struggle to find it,
Try placing each hand lightly against the side of the body.
This should allow you to feel the movement against your palms.
Move your attention now to your lower back.
Notice the subtle movement of this area against the bed or floor that you're lying on.
Now,
Lift your attention to the upper back and shoulder blades.
The upper back expands with each inhale and you should notice that your shoulder blades widen.
They return to their normal position upon the exhale.
Spend a few moments in this area.
Now,
Return your attention to whichever area of the body was most comfortable for you to notice the breath.
Broaden your attention again,
This time to take in the body as a whole.
As you take in several long,
Deep breaths,
Try to feel how your whole body expands and contracts rather than just one particular area.
Take a moment now to see what else you notice about your own body.
Pay attention to anything that grabs your attention,
Anything you're curious about.
Sit back and figure out what you're worth.
Take two more deep breaths.
Wiggle your fingers,
Your toes,
Stretch your arms and your legs.
When you feel ready,
Open your eyes and take a moment to reorient yourself before you set up.
When you feel ready,
Open your eyes and take a moment to reorient yourself before you set up.
