The beauty of conscious breathing

The beauty of conscious breathing.

Dear Friends,

Some of you will be new to meditation and mindfulness and others may be already practicing but it’s probably fair to assume that if you’re reading this then you are looking for something- greater peace of mind, calm, spiritual connection perhaps.

I want to assure you that whatever it is, you are in the right place because the answer to any sense of lack is simple- we need to be more present- to ourselves and the world around us.

Mindfulness is simply being aware or conscious in the here and now, not concerned with the past or worrying about what may happen in the future. Just now, just here, just as it is.

Formal “on the cushion” meditation is the formal practice to allow us to be in the present moment. And you may be relieved to read that it doesn’t have to involve a cushion or sitting in the lotus position or any set formula, the beauty of it is that it is whatever is right for your body.

So, just be here now and breathe…

Let’s take a minute to pause from our thinking minds and just be.

Read through these instructions and then try it out for yourself.

Exercise;

• Sit upright, feet on the floor grounding you to the Earth, hands resting gently in your lap. You may want to lower your gaze or close your eyes.
• Just become aware of your breathing.
• Your natural breath, in through your nose and out through your nose, gently without trying to force anything.
• Just keep going and if your mind tries interrupting you (which it will), just acknowledge those thoughts- name them if you can (i.e. planning or reviewing; and bring your attention back to your breath.
• Just keep going, breathing, noticing, and allowing and breathing.
• With each in breath (inhalation), say to yourself ‘I know that I am breathing in. And on each out breath (exhalation) “ I know that I am breathing out.”
• With each inhalation, breath in a sense of calm and relaxation.
• With each exhalation, breathe out any tension, pain or restriction in the body.
• Continue to notice thoughts that come and go, name them and simply return your focus to your breathing.

Ten minutes or longer is a great starting point, you may want to set a timer.
Well done! You just meditated.

Notice how you feel as opposed to before you first started this exercise.

Already you’re on your way to a new way of living- try doing this each day at a sustainable time that works for you. Some people prefer mornings, others have more time in the evening. Creating a time to meditate is powerful, reinforcing your intention and creating a new routine.

It is mental exercise to learn how to meditate and just like any other form of exercise, it takes regular practice, commitment and assuming a non-judgmental, curious position because you are learning about how your mind, body and spirit are all connected.

This is just the beginning, with regular practice, we can learn how to be really in touch with our thoughts, feelings and sensations in the body. This helps us look after ourselves more- we are more likely to notice things like tension, pain, early signs of illness or recurrent thoughts or beliefs that no longer serve us when we take the time to notice and listen to our inner world, being in the present moment, just as it is.

If you want to learn more about how mindfulness can help you in your daily life, please contact me.

Best wishes for a relaxing day,
Sally