Before we begin,
If you have anxiety,
Asthma,
High blood pressure,
Or you are pregnant or have another health condition that may be negatively affected by fast breathing or holding your breath,
Please ignore those instructions in this meditation and simply breathe at your own natural pace during those parts.
If you're uncertain,
Please err on the side of caution for your own sake,
As I am not a doctor and cannot tell you for certain whether you should be concerned.
Begin by getting comfortable,
Sitting in a relaxed yet upright position,
And close your eyes.
We don't often pay attention to our breath,
Yet our breath can be a quick indicator of how we currently feel,
And it can also be a fast way to regulate how we feel.
Take a moment now to pay attention to your breath.
Don't change or try to control it.
Really note whether you're breathing fast or slow,
Shallow or deep,
Through your mouth or your nose.
Begin taking longer,
Deeper breaths now.
Breathe into your belly as deeply as you can.
Hold the breath for a moment and exhale,
Releasing all the air slowly.
Breathe into your belly as deeply as you can again.
Hold the breath and exhale,
Releasing all the air slowly.
Breathe into your belly again,
Hold,
And exhale slowly.
You may notice by now that you are beginning to feel more relaxed.
Try breathing in more quickly now.
Breathe into a count of one and exhale quickly.
Breathe into a count of one and exhale quickly again.
Once more,
Breathe into a count of one and exhale quickly.
And again,
One more time.
Maybe now you're feeling more tense again?
Breathe in deeply again,
And this time,
Hold your breath at the top of the inhale.
Hold it for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One,
And let it out slowly,
Controlled.
Inhale again,
Hold it for five,
Four,
Three,
And when you exhale this time,
Hold your breath at the end of the exhale.
Hold your breath for five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One,
And inhale.
How did it feel holding your breath like that?
Did you feel in control or anxious?
How did the next exhale or inhale after holding your breath feel?
Let's return to the deep belly breathing again.
Breathe deeply into the belly,
Hold,
And exhale slowly.
Breathe in,
Hold,
And exhale slowly.
Inhale,
Hold,
Exhale slowly.
On this last breath,
Try to make your exhale longer than your inhale.
Breathe in,
Hold,
And breathe out as long and as slowly as possible.
Notice how you feel now.
Place one hand on your belly and the other over your heart.
Breathe naturally and notice how your hands move as you breathe in and out.
Which hand rises first?
Which hand falls first?
See if you can change your breathing to change which hand rises and falls first.
How does it feel when you change your breath like this?
Return to breathing deeply now.
Follow the flow of the breath from the tip of your nose to the rise of your belly and back.
If you find yourself getting distracted from the breath,
Simply return your attention to the breath without making it a big deal.
Is the flow of your breath smooth and easy?
Does it get stuck anywhere?
If it gets stuck somewhere,
See if you can identify why.
Is it a stuffy nose from allergies or a cold?
A dry throat?
Swollen sinuses?
Notice the temperature of the air.
See if you can notice the cooler air coming in at the tip of your nose.
Breathing up as it moves down to your lungs.
What do you hear as you breathe?
You may hear your inhales and exhales,
But is there anything else?
Does your nose whistle?
Is there a sound in your throat or your chest as you breathe in or out?
Move your attention away from your breath for a moment.
Expand your attention to your entire body.
How does it feel now that you've been breathing deeply and focusing on the breath?
Do you feel more relaxed?
Less pain?
Sleepy?
Energized?
What about your mind?
Are your thoughts racing or have they slowed?
Do you feel content,
Your mind at ease?
For these last few moments,
Let's return our attention to the breath.
Breathe deeply.
Let go of your thoughts and worries and simply focus on the breath.
Keep your attention on the part of your body where you can most easily feel the breath.
When you're ready,
Let go of the breath and open your eyes.
Let go of the breath.
Let go of the breath.
