Connect to yourself and your own natural breathing rhythm with a gentle breath exercise. This becomes easier and easier and with commitment and in time will only take a few seconds to check in. You may like to read more about Gentle Breath Meditation® or try a meditation audio Reconnecting Gentle Breath Meditation.

Build an awareness of observing the quality in your natural breathing rhythm, it will speed up, go deeper or change in rate, but the quality can remain the same. It’s possible to discover a way to adjust even an exercise workout around being able to breathe in a quality that feels honouring of you and not in any way tense or gasping for air. The quality of your breath can be felt by the ease to breath, the expansiveness in your airways, and the feeling of the air as it passes in and out your nose.

Be aware of how your body is moving, and choosing a gentle quality in this movement. Focus on what you can feel is happening in your body, and keeping an eye out for any signs of tension or hardness that may interfere with your breathing or the freedom of your body movements in any negative way. You may start to feel the base of your feet and your body weight shifting through your feet as you move, become aware of how the soles of your shoes feel against the pads of your feet as you walk across different surfaces.

Feel your hands and fingertips gently holding a set of hand weights, not gripping on for dear life. Feel your arms swing and hands bounce freely, or an opening across the upper chest, upper back and around your shoulders as you move. Become aware of what muscles are meant to be active in a movement and what muscles are clearly not meant to be active or are not needed, then monitor this.