Exercise: Three-Minute Breathing Space

By practicing your attention, you quickly notice how often your actions are influenced by certain ideas you have. An image, phrase, or sound can immediately trigger your autopilot. Your mind is always in motion and constantly distracted by automatic responses: emotions, opinions, thoughts, judgments, desires, memories, and so on! By practicing directing your attention, you learn more about your way of perceiving and thinking, as well as how that influences your actions and reactions.

Exercise

Your breath is a handy tool to bring you into the present moment and guide your attention. Your breath is always present, which is why you can use it anytime and anywhere. It’s a safe point to return to. At such a moment, you can ask yourself: how am I feeling right now, in this moment, and how is my breathing?

An exercise that can help you with this is the ‘three-minute breathing space.’ It’s best to do this exercise standing or sitting in a quiet place with your eyes closed. It consists of three steps:

1. Direct your attention to your experiences in this moment: what are you experiencing now, what thoughts do you have, how do you feel at this moment, how does your body feel? You’re only observing, not changing anything.
2. Direct your attention to your breath: follow each inhalation and exhalation, and continue using your breath as a central point.
3. Gradually expand your attention: direct your attention to feeling and experiencing your body as a whole, to your posture and facial expression. Then open your eyes again and notice what the exercise has done for you. What do you observe?

You can go through these steps on your own with your eyes closed or use audio guidance for the three-minute breathing space exercise. Choose what suits you.

“Breath is the link between mind and body”

– Dan Brule

Sources

https://centrumvoormindfulness.nl

https://www.happywithyoga.com/mindfulness/mindfulness-explanation/

https://www.radboudcentrumvoormindfulness.nl/media/1366/

https://www.happywithyoga.com/mindfulness/scientifically-proven-benefits-of-mindfulness/