Three Minute Breathing Space

Begin by establishing yourself in a comfortable posture, whether sitting, standing, or lying down. Remember there is no right or wrong when it comes to your position – it is okay to move, adjust, and listen to your body as needed. When you feel ready, close your eyes and begin by opening to an awareness of your inner experience. What thoughts do you notice? Perhaps thinking of your thoughts as clouds passing in the sky – observing them, but not pushed or pulled by them. What feelings or emotions do you notice, whether pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral? What body sensations are you aware of, if any? Noticing if you feel any sensations of tension or perhaps of relaxation.

In step two, gather and focus your awareness on the physical sensations of your breath, moving in and out of your body. Find where your breath sensations are most vivid for you – perhaps as the belly expands and falls back, or the feeling of the air moving through your nose and throat, or perhaps a larger sense of the breath in the entirety of the body. As best you can follow this breath sensation all the way in and this breath sensation all the way out. Use your own breathing to anchor you in this very moment. If, but more likely when, you find that your attention has wandered from the breath, gently and lovingly bring your awareness back to the breath, the breath that is always there to be found.

Finally, expand your awareness to include a sense of your body as a whole. Noticing the feeling of your body against the chair, or the ground, or the floor – noticing how those points of contact feel. Noticing how the breath feels moving in and out of the body. If you feel comfortable, as best you can without judgement, notice any sensations of discomfort or tension that may be present within the body. As best you can, without trying to change those sensations, and while breathing deeply, say to yourself, “Whatever is here, let me feel it. It’s already here in this moment. Let me feel it. Whatever is here, let it be.” Allow yourself to rest here for a few moments.

As you move from this time of “being” into the realm of “doing”, practice carrying with you the intentions of compassion, non-judgement, and kindness towards both yourself and others. As best you can in your day ahead, practice moving slowly and intentionally and remember that you can take 3 minutes to ground yourself, should you need to.