This week you are going to add on to the experience of belly breathing.

The Practice - 10 minutes

Step One

Start by taking a dose of your tincture. With your eyes open, get into a comfortable position and settle into belly breathing. This time inhale and exhale only through your nose. By doing this you are allowing the breath to become more normalized, something that you can do throughout the day effortlessly and easily.

Step Two

As you continue breathing in this way, move your awareness to your environment. Take a moment to look around you and notice five different things visually. Notice the colors, the shapes, movement or stillness, textures, and anything else that catches your attention. Simply notice and observe.

Also become aware of sounds around you. Just hear the sounds without judging them. You are simply taking in your environment.

Become aware of any smells or fragrances. Notice how it feels as the breath moves in through your nose with that fragrance or smell and down into the lungs. Notice how you respond to this aspect of your environment without judgment, just being aware.

Now bring your awareness inside your body. Become aware of any tastes in your mouth. Observe the sensory experience of tasting.

Now bring your awareness to the sensations in your body. Move your awareness through your body, noticing any kind of sensory experience you're having. Is there tension in any part of your body? Is there comfort or softness in your body? Is there warmth or coolness? Is there pain or discomfort? Is there a feeling of lightness or heaviness? Simply observe the experience that your body is having in this moment with a sense of curiosity and kindness toward your body.

Take a couple minutes to simply be with this experience of breathing and being present in this moment in time in this environment. Then notice, as you bring your attention to these perceptions, what happens to your thoughts? Just notice without judgment.

Step Three

Now look ahead of you. Find two objects to focus on. It might be two spots on your wall, or two objects outside your window, or two pieces of furniture next to each other. As you find these two points, notice the space in between them. Focus on that space and notice that most likely there is nothing happening in that space. It's the empty space between two trees or two paintings or two pieces of furniture. As you notice that empty space and are aware that nothing is happening, you can think to yourself, “In this moment there is no threat. In this moment nothing is happening. In this moment I am safe. In this moment all is well."

Focus on the experience of safety as you continue to belly breathe in an easy manner. The message is being sent to the part of the brain that creates the survival state of fight/flight that there is no danger and you are safe. And the survival brain can then relax and move into the rest and digest state.

Step Four

Continue to belly breathe, being aware of your environment, your body sensations, and that in this moment you are safe. Now observe your experience as you do this. Do your thoughts slow down? Perhaps for a moment you might lose awareness of your habitual thought patterns as you direct your attention to this aspect of your experience, holding it with an attitude of neutrality, gentleness, and safety. Perhaps you don’t notice anything different. Whatever your experience is, simply observe it with no judgment.

Do this for 5 to 10 minutes.

Step Five

When you are done, take in a nice deep breath, hold it for a moment, release it, and stretch your body. Then enjoy your day.

Step Six

Periodically throughout the day check in with yourself in this way and take the time to reinforce that in this moment you are safe; in this moment all is well.

Step Seven

At the end of seven days, take a moment to observe what your experience has been throughout these seven days as you have reinforced these moments of safety. How has it impacted your body? your thoughts? your emotions? your state of well-being? your stress levels? Re-evaluate the symptoms you listed in your 'State of Body' and 'State of Mind,' along with any perceived benefits from your extract in 'Tracking My Extract Benefits.' Enter these notations in the space provided for Week Two Experience on all sheets. As well, if you have discovered any changes or benefits not previously recorded, be sure to enter them in your 'Discovered Benefits' sheet.