Simple Start to Breathe + Meditate

Control the breath, Control the mind. 

​

​

1. No Labels—Don’t have to to justify or identify your feelings, like a new weird food.

2. The Role of Breathing:

   • Breathing connects the body and mind.

   • Practicing your breath like Yoda trains your mind to remain steady and non-reactive when *%&@ hits the fan. 

   • You can’t “breathe wrong” unless you hold your breath and pass out!

3. The Power of Visualization:
   Mentally rehearse successful actions and scenarios so you’re prepared.

4. Emotional Awareness Practice - Learning not to run or turn off emotions

1. Recognize: You are feeling something, you don’t need to identify it

2. Accept: Just breathe as you feel, this doesn’t need to get resolved, it just needs to be felt, it’s part of the purge or growth.  

3. Nurture: “It’s okay to feel this way. You’re human.”.

​

 

1. Start by 5 Finger Breathing - Engage your senses, touch, sight, smell, hearing

   1. Hold one hand up in front of you, fingers spread apart.

   2. Using the index finger of your opposite hand, trace your hand.

      1. Inhale as you trace ↑ one finger.

      2. Exhale as you trace ↓ the other side.

   3. Continue until you’ve traced all fingers, then reverse the process.

2. Breathe Awareness

   1. Take a few deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

3. Body Scan- 

   1. Lightly flex your muscles starting with your toes and move upward

   2. Then flex all your muscle for 2-3 seconds, then release. Repeat this twice.

 

     

​

3 options after taking body scan:  

​

1.  Continue breathing and let the mind go anywhere it needs to. 

 

2.  Purging Negativity + Stress in the body -  Trains you to observe your thoughts rather than become consumed by them, reducing their power over your emotions.

1. When a thought or emotion arises, notice it without judgment.

2. Do you feel it somewhere in your body? What does it look like, ie black boulder in the chest

3. Imagine slowly dissolving it by either melting (H₂O), air, light, etc.

   • Use your imagination to slowly get rid of the emotion or black boulder.  

4. Visualize the thought or boulder slowly leaving your body

5. Gently return to focusing on your breath

 

3.  Work/Life/Sports Visualization 

Mentally rehearse successful actions and scenarios so you’re prepared and reduce anxiety.

1. Imagine yourself in a high-pressure scenario, giving a presentation, sports, or having a difficult conversation.

2. Visualize yourself performing with calm, focus, and precision.

   • See yourself moving confidently and responding gracefully to challenges.

   • Imagine positive outcomes and the sense of accomplishment afterward.

3. Use all your senses in this visualization: What do you see, hear, feel, or smell

 

​