Guided Diaphragmatic Breathing (Revised) ( meditation)

Greetings to your listener. This is Ms. Inc. Let's work on practicing our coping skills and improving wellness. If you are new to diaphragmatic breathing, refer to the links that should have been included with this recording. They are in the notes of the included document with the script. Talk to your doctor if you have a respiratory or cardiovascular condition before beginning a practice like this. D diaphragmatic breathing is a practice well-known for its power to instill feelings of safety and well-being, as a key element of the majority of meditation and relaxation techniques. It is clinically proven to enable relaxation with immediate effects such as lowering the harmful impact of the stress hormone cortisol, reduction of high blood pressure, and improving capacities to cope with PTSD. With regular practice, it improves respiration particularly in some with COPD or asthma, improving oxygen saturation, core muscles stability, your body's ability to tolerate intense exercise, and increase the efficiency of your body's energy expenditure. The stress reduction also helps the immune system fare better. Combined with meditation, diaphragmatic breathing is shown to help manage the symptoms of such wide-ranging conditions, as depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and sleeplessness. Employing diaphragmatic breathing for immediate anxiety reduction works in part on the principle of biofeedback, but our emotional and mental state is reflected in our physicality, and we can affect our state by controlling our body. This is proven, so when a person becomes anxious, this tends to affect the cardiovascular system. Breathing patterns become quickened or imbalanced, blood pressure rises, muscles tense, and intentionally employing diaphragmatic breathing sends a signal deep into the mind that circumstances aren't so tired that they require a stress response, that we can relax and let go. It is one of several very powerful coping skills which I wish everyone to have available to them. If you happen to research diaphragmatic breathing, you may see it popularly referred to as belly breathing. But I feel this is slightly misleading, and using the belly as a focus can be problematic for people with stomach concerns, etc. Really, the focus is the diaphragm, a dome-shaped sheet of muscle intending at the bottom of your ribs, above your belly. Employing the diaphragm enables us to achieve the slow, deep breathing that helps us relax and feel at peace. Cultivating a soothing pattern of breathing is very helpful for going into hypnosis, as well as mitigating stress in your day-to-day life, a really good idea. I like to start with a sigh, really embodying the idea of a sigh, letting my shoulders sag as I give in to the desire for peace. Starting with a genuine sigh is particularly key to this practice for many people with symptoms of anxiety. If you're new to diaphragmatic breathing, you can keep breathing normally until you are integrating my instructions as I progress through them. And by the end, you'll have learned a little more about breathing to instill calmness. If you're a beginner, it may help to place one hand on your chest and the other just below it, over the bottom of your ribcage. This will help you feel the rise and fall happening all the way from the bottom of your lungs. Inhale through the nose, or with nose and mouth simultaneously, if using the nose alone is not ideal for you for any reason. Hold your breath for at least two or three seconds, before releasing your breath preferably through the mouth. Don't exhale with force. Just let it go. With a little practice, you can inhale and exhale so softly you wouldn't disturb a feather. A neat trick, and then just be still for at least two or three seconds before inhaling again. A calm and controlled inhalation. Don't feel up to bursting, just a pleasant amount of fullness. My family ideal for me is just about a three second inhalation, three seconds of holding, exhaling softly for three seconds, and then blissfully just being for three seconds. Some instructions I have read use five seconds or even ten, but foremost is to not stress over it. You don't have to be perfect at it. It's just good to practice and see the improvement in your life. The phase of stillness is my favorite part. I feel so at peace without tension, without anything I have to do, no need for exertion. I really let myself fall into that moment and bathe in it. It's so very rejuvenating. We're going to continue our practice now, where I will guide you through your breathing for three minutes. And during the waiting period between exhaling and inhaling, I'll give you a meditative prompt for wellness. So, I'm going to count down from three, and then we'll start inhaling. Prepare yourself. Three, two, one. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Still. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Peace. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Come. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Easy. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Rest. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Exhale. Quiet. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Love. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Acceptance. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Patience. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Unity. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Serenity. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Harmony. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Contentment. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Joy. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Self-kindness. Very good. Just like that. Keep practicing your slow, deep breathing. Breathing with the diaphragm. Noticing that tension is leaving your body as you reinforce that sense of wellness. I'd like you to keep practicing this breathing technique as I continue talking. And it's okay if you find what's best for you is to take longer than three seconds. It doesn't have to be perfect. Not according to some supposedly objective model. None of us are perfect. And we can accept that while working towards developing our more ideal self. Really. Being okay with our imperfection helps a great deal in creating desired developments. Feeling that we're okay with the way that we are enables us to focus on our path forward. Keep practicing. Breathing slowly, deeply. Counting in your head or out loud, whatever is right for you, I like to use the Mississippi technique. I think one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi. But you can look up other such tools online, I'm sure. No problem. Whatever is right for you, the important thing is taking a bit of time to find some peace and to let your mind and body relax. We can't be tense all the time. That's not good. In fact, we get stronger when we alternate periods of tension and relaxation. And that's something you deserve. You deserve that kind of strength and ability. As much as you can find. If you're looking to practice regularly, many people find having a routine where practice occurs in the same place and time every day to make it much easier to keep up on a practice. It helps if it's peaceful and quiet, especially when you're a beginner. Ten minutes is a good length of time for a practice, but twenty minutes could be great for you if that feels right. And if you struggle with letting go of disruptive thoughts or overpowering feelings, learning about mindfulness techniques is very empowering for cultivating what some call the Teflon mind. Remember, of course, that this program is not a substitute for working with doctors, nurses, therapists, and other care providers. If you find symptoms worsening, please reach out to professionals for more help. Diaphramatic breathing isn't a cure all. Certainly not on its own. And in some cases, it may not help right now. If you hit such obstacles, I hope you keep pursuing wellness at the pace that is correct for you. That's all I wish. Now, you can choose to end your diaphragmatic breathing practice or continue, but we've been focusing on breathing for a while. So let's bring back some of our attention to the surroundings. Remember where you are. Take a look around. Remember what you did earlier today and what you're intending to do for the remainder. You can stretch and yawn. That feels good. Return fully now to wake full awareness of where you are in the present. There are lots of other ways to improve our sense of well-being and our capacity to release tension. And hopefully we'll get to talk about those in the not too distant future. You've done a great job. I'm really glad you took this time and I recommend to do so at least three times a week. If you fit this practice in every day, I'll bet you'll get excellent results expediently. Remember, you can breathe diaphragmatically pretty much anytime, anywhere, with or without a file. And I hope you do. You deserve that. See you next time. This is Ms. Ink Noir. I've been your guide for this recording. I so hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. It can be an even more powerful experience, Jiji, return to listen again. If you enjoyed this session or found it beneficial, you may like to contribute to my Patreon at patreon.com slash Ms. Ink Noir. And receive exclusive rewards. I'm sure you would enjoy. There's so much I would like to build with the support of our community. And I know that we can do it together. Feedback and comments are welcome. My email address is Ms. Ink Noir at gmail.com And my Twitter is at Ms. Ink Noir. I'd love to hear that people listen to the file. I also have a Discord server. Just let me know on email or Twitter if you want a link. Have a great day.