3 Simple Breaths to Centre

One of the most powerful anchors and connection tools we have available within us - is the breath.

We can use the breath to soothe ourselves, to calm the nervous system, to energise, to check in, to nourish and to return home to our self - over and over again. And the beautiful thing is - it is with us all the time.

In this blog I am sharing three of my favourite, simple, breath practices that can help you centre and return to yourself whenever you need.

A long ‘whispered’ exhale…

One of the most soothing and calming breaths I have found - which is particularly useful when I feel anxious or overwhelmed and am very much in my head - is to focus on a long breath out of the mouth.

I call it a ‘whisper’ because it almost sounds like you are whispering as you exhale - the sound I find to be very grounding.

How

Take a gentle, but full, inhale through the nose - not forcing or pushing the breath into the body - and then pause at the top for a moment (careful not to hold the breath) and then through an open mouth imagine you are slowly blowing the breath back out through the lips in the shape of an ‘o’ - allowing a little whisper to join it.

Try and make the whispered exhale as long as you can - so you breathe out until all of the air in the lungs has emptied before taking the next breath. If it helps to regulate the length of the breath - you can count for a couple of cycles to monitor whether the exhale is actually longer than the inhale.

As you practice this breath - see if you can imagine your energy slowly descending back down into the body and the ground - feeling as though you are sinking and rooting yourself into a calm and slower paced state.

A heart nourishing breath…

The simplicity of this breath never ceases to amaze me - because it is so powerful and nurturing. I find this heart nourishing breath so supportive if I feel emotional, unsafe or uncertain. The sensation of my own hand on my body is like a reminder that I can support myself whenever I need.

HOW

Place your hand onto your heart space - the palm flat against your chest. If you can do this skin to skin then that is amazing, but if that isn’t possible then through clothing is still very effective.

Now take some loving breaths and imagine the air circulating around your heart space, bathing it with a sense of nourishment and replenishment. All the time keeping your hand on your heart and even gently rubbing your hand over your chest in a soothing manner.

Bringing awareness and comfort to the heart space from the outside, while welcoming a renewing breath to the inside - can very quickly show your nervous system that you are secure in this moment, and bring back a sense of stability.

Breath curiosity check in…

I love this, and always invite those I share my Sacred Well sessions with to begin with this practice. The way the breath moves in the body gives us so much information so it is the perfect way to check in with our physical body.

We can identify the parts of us that feel stuck, achy, tender, raw, open… just by breath curiosity - and it allows us a powerful way to tap into our own body wisdom and listen for messages from within.

HOW

If you can close your eyes that will help you focus more intently - but it is not essential at all. Begin just by taking some conscious breaths in through the nose and out through the nose or mouth.

Consider yourself the observer and begin to just witness the breath pattern that naturally occurs - there is nothing to change. Now carefully start to follow the path that the breath takes as it moves in and out of the body.

Notice the pace. The sensations. The parts of you that the breath reaches easily, and the parts of you it maybe doesn’t reach at all. Once you have identified any areas that are trying to get your attention then bring your focus on to them and ask yourself what they might need. You may or may not get a clear answer - but simply by drawing your awareness to these parts - that may have been dismissed or forgotten - is a powerful way to start to receive guidance from within.

I would love to know if you try any of these and they support you. This is very much shaped from my own experience and we are never a ‘one size’ fits all’ - but in my experience many people do find sanctuary in at least one of these breath practices.

Lx