Transcript:

With all the exercises, make sure you do this at a time when you will be undisturbed for 3 minutes.

This is time for you; time out; where you have created a bubble of space and time – so you can leave everything that’s led to this moment behind, and you can put off any worries about the future for these few minutes.

Sitting upright, remain fully attentive, but relax.

Put your hand on your upper belly. Now notice how it rises and falls with the natural rhythum of breathing.

Just focus on the breathing and the movement, for a count of 9 cycles of in-breath and out-breath.

So now rest.

Now keeping your hand on the belly, take another 9 breaths, but this time say to yourself, on the out breath ‘letting go’. Feel your whole body relaxing.

Rest again for a few moments.

Take 9 more breaths, and repeat the exercise saying ‘here, now’.

Now rest again, in this bubble of time.

We’re finished. Reflect for a minute on how you’re feeling, and try to take this into whatever you do next. Repeat later today.

insert audio track here

Transcript:

This is best practised outdoors, or by an open window.

Sit upright and relaxed. Allow yourself a 3 minute breather.

Bring your attention to what you can hear.

For a few moments, simply keep your attention on listening.

Listen for sounds nearby, and far away. Sounds which are continuous and those which come and go.

Notice whether you are imagining and naming the source of the sound, and making up a story based on what you’ve heard. Can you listen just to the sound without naming it? Just hear the noise and let it go?

Notice also whether you are judging the source of the sound – I like that, I don’t like that.

Now listen again, simply letting the sounds pass by or pass through you, without comment or getting involved.

As you do this, you can relax into the mindfulness of the present moment experience.

Repeat, later today.

insert audio track here

Transcript:

Sit upright and relaxed. Give yourself 3 minutes to allow the body to naturally calm down. This exercise activates our parasympathetic nervous system, which stabilises and brings us back to our ‘default’ state.

Sit upright and relaxed.

If it helps, place one hand on your upper belly, so that you bring your attention to the movement of the breath.

For 9 breaths, simply experience the natural rhythum of the breathing without changing the breathing in any way. Tune in. Be as focused as you can, like a scientist, observing every nuance of change.

Ok so now rest for a few moments.

Now bring your attention back to the movement of the breathing. But this time, deliberately lengthen the out-breaths. Just let the out-breath linger for longer. As you let the breath go, let go of tensions too. Just let go. Completely. You can even say ‘letting go’ to yourself on the out-breath.

Tune-in to how you are feeling now. Repeat this exercise whenever you are aware of tension rising.

The more you practise this, the quicker you will be able to return to a calm and centred feeling.