Introduction to Mindfulness_349810_bookemon_ebook.pdf Coaching and Practising Mindfulness | Page 123

expanding and contracting as we inhale and exhale. Focus wherever
you find it easiest to stay with your breathing.
To help you keep your mind on your breathing, you might try saying
silently to yourself, with each in-breath:
“Breathing in, I know I’m breathing in”, and with each out-breath:
“Breathing out, I know I am breathing out”. As you become more
keenly aware of your in-breath as your in-breath and your out-breath
as your out-breath, just use the word “in” when breathing in, and
“out” when breathing out.
You may notice your mind wandering, and when you do, just accept
that this is what happens to everyone, and then gently escort you
attention back to your in-breath and your out-breath. And if your
mind wanders a thousand times, just very gently notice that’s it’s
drifted off and bring it back to the breath, a thousand times. You
don’t have to suppress your thinking or try to ‘control’ it in some
way, you only have to come back to your breathing and enjoy this
breath, and this breath, and this breath…
Exercise 2: Following your breath
Following your breath for the full duration of your breath
The first exercise described above naturally leads into this second
exercise which focuses your attention a little more closely on the
duration of your breath.
Called “Long/Short”, this exercise invites you to let your attention
follow the flow of your in-breath for however long it takes, and
similarly, to keep your attention on the out-breath for its full
duration, however long that takes. The terms “long” and “short” do
not mean that you should either lengthen or shorten your breath.
They simply direct you to follow the course of your breath, whatever
its duration.
Rather than try and control your breath in any way, you are invited to
‘get out of your own way’ and to allow your breath enjoy itself. If
your in-breath is short, let it be short; if it is long, let it be long.
When you take time to become aware of your breathing, you may
notice that the quality of your breathing changes slightly. It may
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