This practice uses the breath to help ground, center, calm, and regualte your energy. The process is simple, and effective. It can be done any time, even if you have only a minute to spare.
Process:
Experience your breath:
- Breathe slowly in and out.
- Notice the body expanding and contracting.
- Feel the cooling in-breath and the warming out-breath.
- Follow three breaths into and out of the body.
Use your breath:
- Continue breathing easily and fully in and out as you bring a gentle smile to your face. Allow the muscles in around your eyes and mouth to soften.
- Yawn and stretch slowly and methodically feeling your shoulders dropping, and your whole body relaxing.
- Repeat steps one and two until you feel a connection between your physical and emotional states.
Notice the affects of your breath:
- Notice your speech patterns:
- Do you feel out of breath or occasionally gasp for air?
- Are you able to regulate your speech?
- Are you able to move easily between reflecting and speaking?
- Notice bodily movement:
- Are you able to modulate your pace (speeding up or slowing down) while maintaining an awareness of the breath?
- Does your body feel relaxed and responsive (sitting, standing, moving)?
Breathe through your whole system:
- Using your breath, scan your system from head to toe.
- Breathing in through the nose, become aware of your whole body.
- Breathing out through the mouth, slowly drop awareness through the body from head to toe.
- Use the end of the out-breath to ground in the feet.