Guided Breathing Meditation

Hello and welcome to the Guided Breath Meditation

My name is Brett and I will be guiding you through this breathing journey today

Get comfortable.

Find a place where you can have a few quiet minutes to yourself. If that’s not possible, you can do this meditation anywhere you can be reasonably comfortable and close your eyes or lower your gaze focusing softly on whatever is in front of you.

Sit in a way that you feel relaxed and also alert, with your back straight but not strained.

Feel the sensations of your breath.

When you’re comfortable, take 5 full breaths. As you breathe in and out, feel the sensations of breath filling your body and leaving your body. Connect with the sensations as fully as you can. Feel a sense of energy on the in-breath and a sense of letting go with each out-breath, relaxing into the seat beneath you.

After the 5 breaths, let your breath return to its normal rhythm and keep paying attention to the sensations of breathing in and out.

Notice the spaces between your breaths.

Start letting your attention be drawn to the spaces in your breath–in the short pause after you breathe in, and after you breathe out.

Do you sense these pauses? What do you notice there?

Explore the quiet. Notice that, even if no thoughts are currently present, you’re still aware in that quiet space.

Come back to your breath if your attention wanders.

Remain as the kind and curious observer we talked about earlier. Gently notice anything that arises in your inner landscape–thoughts, body sensations, emotions, memories, worries. When you become aware of a worry, for example, you can just note it and come back to noticing the breath and the pauses. You can even say, “Worry,” as you do so. Or, “Itchy foot.”

If you begin to experience a cycle of thoughts or emotions, do your best not to become involved with them, just for the short period of the practice.

Are you trying to suppress experiences or judging them? Remember that kindness and curiosity are your tools, and shift your attention to feeling your full breath: in – pause – out – pause. Again and again.

Is your mind pulling into the future or looking at the past? It’s all ok, simply bring your attention back to your breath, back to what’s here, right now.

Let your mind rest in the pauses.

With each breath, let your attention rest for a moment longer in the pauses. You can gently hold your breath for a fraction longer to prolong the pause, but without any strain or feeling out of breath.

If at any point you feel a little stressed or anxious, keep feeling the breath sensations. Precise and curious attention to physical sensations is deeply relaxing for your nervous system.

Feel your whole body expanding and contracting with your breath, and become more and more present in the spaces between.

Be curious and kind about whatever happens.

Always, always, watch for self-criticism and judging. Be kind and curious with whatever you notice. Be a good friend to yourself by being present with compassion and openness to whatever you experience.

Keep going.

Stay with the practice for a few minutes or longer, feeling your breath, resting in the silent spaces and watching with kind curiosity.

When you’re ready, take a breath, open your eyes and finish.