Take A Mindful Breathing Break
Practicing this will lead to a quiet, alert and calm mind and a relaxed body.
This can be done doing anything and in any posture but the best way to practice is sitting , erect but not too stiff. Become aware of any body tension, and let it go. The eyes may be open or closed, whatever help alertness and calmness. The steps are:
1. First slow down and pause and become aware of the fact that your body is breathing in this present moment.
2. Next do these four things to your breathing, for a minute or two. Try to make it slower, deeper, quieter with a regular rhythm.
3. Now switch from this thinking** control of your breathing to just feeling the physical sensations of your breathing, where ever you feel it the most and the best.
4. Keep yourself only in the present moment as you feel the physical sensations of the breathing over and over without thinking or emotionally reacting, just noticing , accepting and allowing the wave like function of your breathing to unfold as you feel it over and over, and again and again.
5. Sooner rather than later, something will distract you and pull you off your present moment focus of feeling the breathing sensations, this is expected and normal. When this occurs, congratulate yourself for noticing , and gently and kindly bring yourself back to feeling the breathing.
6. Stay aware of your posture and let go of any body tension, as you repeat these steps over and over.
In summary follow this simple formula. Stay in the present moment, feeling, accepting and allowing the breathing, and when distracted, retuning back to the breathing, over and over.
As you do this you will go from feeling the breathing to, allowing and accepting the body to breathe you, as you notice it and feel it over and over.
*Mindfulness means staying in the present, no past, no future and without thinking that is no changing, no controlling, no expectations, no comparing , no judging, without emotional reactions. Without emotional reactions meaning not changing what you are doing based on it feeling, good, bad or neutral. Just accept and allow what is in the present moment. That is mindfulness.