Inhale 2, 3, 4, 5, exhale 2, 3, 4, 5… Taking a deep breath brings you to the present moment. On average we take about 20,000 breaths a day. Which most of them we are not even paying attention to. These breaths are complex yet so simple with what they do. Our body’s cells use the oxygen from our inhale and then they create waste in the form of carbon dioxide that we exhale through the Respiratory system. Even though this system is complex and vital, taking a simple breath is mindless and a daily task we don’t pay attention to. That’s where mindfulness comes in.
To breathe mindfully means paying attention to your breath. Breathing is the cornerstone of mindfulness. Mindful breathing involves creating awareness of your experience in the present moment. The breath is centering, grounding, and cleansing. Studies show that breath can help reduce anxiety and stress in the mind and body. Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness.
Let’s try taking a few mindful breaths.
Sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed and your hands relaxed, either in your lap or resting on your thighs or knees.
Relax your shoulders. Squeeze them up to your ears then release your shoulder blades down your back.
Breathe normally in and out for a few breaths. Notice how the air enters and exits your nostrils, how your belly rises and falls, and how simple and effortless it is.
When you are ready, breathe out all your air to prepare for your first mindful breath
Inhale for a count of five. Slow and steady. Feel the cool air enter your nose, your belly and chest rise. Let the breath wash over you. Hold at the top for 2 counts
Exhale for 5 counts, feel the hot air leaving the nostrils., pull your diaphragm inward, toward your spine, squeezing all the excess air out of your body.
When all the air is squeezed out, pause for two counts, and inhale slowly again, to the count of five, repeat 3-5 times in a row.
They say that the breath is the only thing that can truly be in the present moment.