How to breathe mindfully

Look down (or in the mirror) and find your body.

But where do you look to find your mind?

Is it with you now? Did it time-travel to a moment in the past? Or jump forward to the unknown future?

Do you recognize the lack of awareness that makes you question if you locked the door? The feeling of arriving somewhere but remembering nothing about the way there?

One accessible way to ground yourself back into the present moment is to take a few mindful breaths. Inviting your mind back home to your body.

How to do breathe mindfully?

1. Sit or lie down comfortably. Feeling physically comfortable means that you do not need to constantly adjust your body. This creates more space to focus on your breathing.

2. Take a big inhalation through your nose, and sigh out the breath through your mouth. Repeat this until you are ready to start breathing in and out through your nose.

3. Inhale through your nose, feeling the air entering your body. Follow the breath as it moves into your body, noticing any sensations that the inhalation naturally brings with it.

4. Exhale through your nose, feeling the air exiting your body and the sensations that the exhalation naturally brings with it.

5. You can even acknowledge "I am now inhaling; I am now exhaling".

6. Take 3 to 10 mindful breaths as a practice. When you feel ready, return to your natural breath.

Remember, you can always take a mindful breath whenever you need it. It can be a great way of pausing and grounding in your everyday life.

Not sure what to "look for"?

There are no "correct" sensations to feel. But if mindful breathing is a new practice for you, here are some places to begin:

1. Notice the temperature of the air as it comes in and goes out of your nostrils.

2. Notice sounds as you breathe in and out.

3. Notice physical sensations in your throat, chest, ribcage and belly as you inhale and exhale.

You may feel something else somewhere else. There are no wrong sensations. What you are noticing is what is present at this moment.

The door is always open and your mind will come and go, but for this moment you can say "welcome home" 🎁

Mindfulness Yoga with Shimi