Breathing Mindfulness for PTSD: Tips
Booz Allen
Department of Veterans Affairs
Yale University
University of Nevada, Reno
Key Points
- Breathing exercises are another common vector for practicing mindfulness.
- The goal is to practice being aware of the experience in the present moment.
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Transcript
Another common mindfulness exercise is breathing mindfulness.
And you can do this in a number of different ways, but here’s one way that that might go. Again, you know, have the person get oriented in the chair, feet on the floor, comfortable. Start by taking a couple of deep breaths and then it might go something like this:
Batten, S. V. (2011). Essentials of acceptance and commitment therapy. SAGE Publications Ltd.
So this time, as we work on becoming centered and grounded in the moment, I’d like to ask you to focus for a few minutes on your breathing. And as you become grounded in your chair and ready to begin the exercise, go ahead and shift your attention to your breathing. You might start by taking a few deep breaths, noticing how far you can comfortably expand your lungs and chest as you breathe in and how your muscles and the air interact as you breathe out. So, go ahead and take a few deep breaths.
Batten, S. V. (2011). Essentials of acceptance and commitment therapy. SAGE Publications Ltd.