August 02, 2020

Brief Mindful Breathing Exercise

8 minutes

This is a brief mindful breathing exercise. This exercise is a good introduction into mindful breathing, which is simply bringing our attention to the breath-- not trying to change it or judge it in any way. This is a practice in mindfulness, which is being in the present moment.

During the exercise, it is normal to notice your mind wandering and becoming aware of thoughts or feelings. That is normal. The goal of this exercise is to simply notice that we are "thinking" and gently bring our focus back to the breath because it is always happening in the present moment.

This brief exercise is a great starting point for practice because it takes just a few minutes. You can practice when you wake up, or before you go to sleep - or any time during the day. I urge people to practice in "small bits" more often, rather than long sessions-- this will help train your brain in this new habit.

Mindful breathing is a skill you will be able to use on-the-spot in any setting or situation. You can always bring yourself back to the breath because it is always with you and can be a powerful grounding technique!

I hope you find this exercise helpful and please feel free to provide any feedback!

~Christine

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