A shared practice
Whole Body Breathing
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Created bySean Fargo
Day 9 of Sean's original 28-day mindfulness series — recorded in his own voice.
In Sean Fargo’s own voice6 min
Read along — the full script
Mindfulnessexercises.com. Your 28-day mindfulness challenge. Day 9, whole body breathing. Let's begin by taking a moment to allow the body to settle, relaxing the breathing, loosening the belly, and dropping the shoulders as we invite a sense of ease into our way of being right now.
Moving from the doing, from the thinking, to simply allowing ourselves to be. There's nothing to do. No one to impress. Simply allowing ourselves to settle, to reconnect with our body. Sensing into the predominant energies in the shoulders, in the belly.
Sensing into the heart area inside the chest. Just allowing ourselves to relax. You can close your eyes or look downward just to limit visual distractions. As you feel the weight of your body on the ground or the chair. Today, we're going to practice whole body breathing.
And just allowing yourself to sit in a way that feels upright and balanced, both alert and relaxed. Begin by taking a full breath in, and a long breath out. Just noticing the breath and allowing it to move your body as you inhale.
And as you exhale. Recognizing there's no need to do anything in particular, no need to control the breath. We're just allowing. And as you breathe in, imagine that your whole body is breathing in. And as you breathe out, imagine the whole body is breathing out.
The whole body filling with breath as you breathe in, the whole body releasing as you breathe out. Let's continue breathing like this for a few breaths. If you find yourself feeling scattered or distracted, then come back to the feeling of full body breathing, noticing perhaps how the breath naturally causes expansion outward with each inhale and settles in with each exhale.
Expanding and contracting with each breath. And with your next exhale, just allow your body to be still for just a moment, noticing the sensations that are alive in the body. And as you begin to inhale one more time, allow your eyes to slowly open.
Now, before getting up, take a moment to gently move your body, perhaps wiggling your fingers or toes, rolling your shoulders and your neck around, maybe flexing your feet or your legs. How does your body feel right now? And see if you can carry some of this kind, curious awareness with you as you move throughout your day.
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