Publication: 2022-02-28.Mo # Mindful Breathing [[On Tools, Skills, and Practices...]] Type: [[⭐️ Body]], [[🕯️ Mindfulness]] Use: [[🕯️ Pendulation]] Mindful Breathing allows us to create the conditions for natural self-regulation. The more we practice, the easier and more fast-acting it becomes. ###### The Practice 1. If we like, we can start by taking a few moments and several [[💨 Elongated Exhalation]]s to relax, and then allow our breathing to return to its natural rhythm. 2. Then we bring our attention to the sensation of breathing, paying careful attention to the moment-by-moment changing sensations. We pay full attention from the beginning of our inhale, to the top of the inhale...to the end of our exhale, still following its natural rhythm. 3. We take several breaths like this, tracing the length of each inhale and exhale with our conscious awareness. We note any subtle changes in the sensation. 4. When (not if) our attention drifts, we notice with kind attention and bring our attention back to the breath. We give ourselves permission to let go of any to-dos -- errands to run, things to fix, problems to solve... 5. We can do this for as little as two minutes or as long as 20 -- or however long we like. [^1]: