Breath Oasis – Five Minutes of Pause

Begin now to count your breaths. Inhale – one. Exhale – two. Inhale – three. Exhale – four. Count this way up to ten and then begin again from the start. If your thoughts wander, gently return to counting. Your breath is like an anchor in the waves of everyday life. Feel how each breath brings you more into the here and now. Now change the rhythm – breathe in for four seconds. Hold your breath for four seconds. And breathe out for eight seconds. Inhale – two, three, four. Hold – two, three, four. Exhale – two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Repeat this rhythm three more times at your own pace. With each longer exhale, you relax deeper. Your nervous system finds its way back to balance. Now let go of the conscious rhythm. Return to your natural breath flow. Observe how it has deepened by itself. Your body knows what it needs. Each breath nourishes your cells with fresh oxygen. Feel this aliveness within you. Notice how your belly expands when you inhale. How everything relaxes again as you exhale. Your breath is like a gentle massage from within. Let this rhythm rock you. You are entirely with yourself for a moment. Free from everything that was yesterday or will be tomorrow. Consciously breathe in the peace that has arisen within you. And breathe out what you no longer need. This oasis you carry always within you. It is only a conscious breath away.