112 • PART II: MINDFULNESS IN EDUCATING FOR SELF-REGULATION AND ENGAGEMENT
thoughts, feelings, memories, or ideas enter your awareness. Simply notice that they are there, then
bring your attention directly back to your breath. Do this as often as needed as you practice breath
awareness.
Bring your awareness to the muscles of the face. Notice your jaw, cheeks, lips, eyes, and forehead.
Breathe into these muscles. As you breathe out, release any tension. You want your face to feel as soft
and relaxed as the face of a sleeping baby or puppy. Bring your awareness to the very tip of your nose.
Notice the air as it passes just underneath the tip of your nose. Breathe while you notice the tip of your
nose. Now, bring your awareness to your nostrils. Notice the quality of the air, the warmth as the air
leaves your body and the coolness of the air as it enters. Notice if the air is dry or moist as it enters
and leaves your body. As you breathe, remain aware of your focus. Continuously bring your attention
back to your breath, your nose and your nostrils, the quality of the air, the pace of your breath. There
is so much to notice right here in your present moment.
Begin to notice how the air feels as it enters your nose. See if you can feel it enter your body,
move from your nose to your throat and into each of your lungs. Can you feel the breath divide
as half enters one lung and half enters the other? Notice how your rib cage rises and falls as you
inhale and exhale. You may begin to notice that your rib cage expands from front to back and from
side to side as you inhale. You may notice that the ribs and the side of your body gently soften as
you exhale. Continue breathing here. As before, notice your focus. If you need to, bring your focus
back to your breath.
Now, bring your awareness to the qualities of your breath. Notice the length of the breath going
in and the breath going out. Bring awareness to the fullness of your breath. Is it shallow and in your
chest? Does it go deep into your body, expanding both your chest and your belly?
Slowly begin to deepen your breath. Count to four as you inhale—one, two, three, four—then
count to four as you exhale—one, two, three, four. Continue this for four breaths. (Note, pause
here and allow time for breath.) Now, continuing with deep breath, notice the transition from
inhalation to exhalation. Once you feel as if you cannot inhale any further, allow your body to
move, without effort, to letting the air go. As you feel you cannot exhale any further, allow your
body to shift to taking the air in. Continue this for four breaths. (Note, pause here and allow
time for four breaths.) Think to yourself as you breathe, “I breathe in a long breath,” and
“I breathe out a long breath.”
Now, allow your breath to return to your normal breathing. When breathing your own nor-
mal breaths, pay attention. Are your breaths shorter? Think to yourself, “I breathe in a shorter
breath,” and “I breathe out a shorter breath.” Notice the qualities of your normal breathing.
Describe them to yourself as you breathe. You might think, “My breathing is smooth and even,”
or you might think, “My breathing is deep and strong.” Breathe and notice the qualities of
your breath.
Now, expand your awareness from your breath to your chest and head and then to your entire
body, all the way from your feet to the very top of your head. Breathe as if you could breathe into
your entire body. Inhale, a big, whole body inhale and exhale a big, whole body exhale. Notice your
body again. Notice any changes in how your body feels. Slowly bring your palms together and
rub them together, palm to palm, generating a little warmth. Then, take the palms of your hands
to your eyes, softly cupping them. Slowly open your eyes into the palms of your hands and spread
PRACTICE SCRIPT 6.2 (continued )
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