Guided Breathing
Updated: Jul 8, 2022
Hi, everyone. I thought that in line with doing an educational video about the importance of breathing, that I would lead a guided breathing. This is similar to a guided meditation. This is something you can start your day with, something you can end your day with. You can get into the practice of it, you can implement it when you are stressed out, when you just need a second to yourself. This is just something generally that can help you relax, get into your body, get in touch with yourself.
The first thing I would like you to do is try to find somewhere where you can sit comfortably, sit quietly, somewhere where you have your feet on the ground. You can lean back. Get comfortable. And you can keep your eyes open, or if you'd like, you can go ahead and close them when you’re not reading.
I want you to first start by getting in your body, feeling your feet. Wiggle your toes, maybe roll your ankles. Move up a little bit to your thighs. If you're sitting, can you feel them on the chair? Maybe flex them a little bit, and then move up to your back. Can you feel your back on the chair? Or if you're laying down, can you feel your back on the floor? And then moved down your arms into your fingers. Can you feel your hands? Maybe wiggle your fingers.
And then let's move all the way to the top to your head. Maybe roll your neck a little bit. Just kind of scan your entire body and make sure you can fully feel it.
And continue this checking in with your visceral body while you're doing this breathing practice. Wiggle your toes. Wiggle your fingers. Just make sure you are present.
Now I want you to turn your attention to your normal breathing. Just take a few moments to focus on your normal breath. Feel your chest rise and fall. Maybe notice where your breathing. Is it your chest? Is it your belly? Take a few more moments to just breathe normally and let yourself start to relax.
(Spend a few minutes breathing normally)
Now I want you to shift your breathing in through your nose and out through the mouth. You can keep breathing like this at the same pace as your normal breath, same depth, just make sure you're breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Take a few moments just to get used to this. in through the nose, out through the mouth, making sure you're still in your body, wiggling your toes, wiggling your fingers. In through your nose and out through your mouth.
(Spend a few minutes breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth)
If something comes up while you're breathing, something pops into your head, that's okay. Honor it, take a look at it, and then say goodbye. And focus again on breathing in through your nose and out through the mouth. I now want you to place your hand on your belly, and on your inhales, focus on expanding your belly as far as possible. Now we're shifting from breathing into your chest, into the belly.
Continue to do in through your nose, out through your mouth, feeling your belly fill all the way up with air as you inhale, making sure you're continuing to breathe in through the nose, out through mouth, moving the air into your belly instead of your chest. And check in with your body. Can you still feel your back against the chair? Can you feel your thighs?
(Spend a few minutes with your hand on your belly, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth)
Now I want you to shift a little bit and do some timed breathing. We're going to inhale for four seconds. Hold that breath for five seconds and exhale for eight seconds. Make sure you're breathing in through your nose, out through your mouth. Make sure you're in your body. Wiggle your toes, wiggle your fingers. So we'll do inhale for four seconds. Hold that breath in your belly for five, and focus on the exhale for eight. Hold, and exhale.
(You can count in your head or reference the gif I posted to follow the time 4, 5, 8 cycle)
Go at your own pace. And let's do that cycle a few times (five, at most). In through the nose, out through the mouth. Inhaling for four seconds, holding in the breath for five, and blowing out, exhaling for eight seconds.
(Try 4, 5, 8 cycle again. If you get lightheaded, shift back into normal breathing)
Now I want you to shift back into normal breathing. Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, but go ahead and let go of the timed breathing. If you're feeling a little bit lightheaded, that's okay, that's normal. Just go ahead and shift back into normal breathing.
(Breathe normally for a few breaths)
Check in with yourself. Check in with your body. Wiggle your toes, feel your thighs, feel your back against the chair or the floor. Wiggle your fingers, roll your neck. Continue with your normal breath. And as we complete the guided breathing, let's think of gratitude. Gratitude for our bodies. Thank your body. Honor your body. Be kind to your body.
Make sure when you get up, you get up slowly. Be patient with yourself. Maybe stretch a little bit.
Remember, you can do this in the morning, you can do this at night. When you need some time for yourself, you want to feel a little bit more relaxed, and you can do this along with me, reading this, or you can try it by yourself. Just remember to breathe, to stay in your body and to be thankful for your body.