Chapter 5

Ch5Exercise1.pdf

Mindfulness Exercise 1: Expanded Attending to Breathing with Light Imagery

(Approximately 5-10 minutes)
Therapist:  I would like you to start this exercise by placing your feet squarely on the ground and sitting up in your chair so that your back is straight but not rigid. Make sure that your head feels square to your shoulders and place your arms in a comfortable position at your sides. This posture helps us to stay alert and focused. So lets begin by first noticing or paying attention to the fact that your body is actively sensing the environment. Notice that you can feel yourself sitting in the chair, and you can feel your feet on the ground. Now, gently close your eyes or find a place on the floor to fix your gaze should you choose to keep your eyes open I would like you to place your attention at the tip of your nose and begin to notice the sensation of air moving in and out of your nostrils Pay attention to your breathing. You may notice that the air coming in through your nostrils is slightly cooler than the air moving out of your nostrils Allow yourself to just gently follow your breathing, paying attention to the gentle, easy air as it passes in and out You may also notice the rise and fall of your chest. Be aware of the expansion and contractionbe completely aware of your breathing If you become distracted by your thoughts, just take a moment to notice where your thoughts took you, notice where your mind went, and then, without judgment, let go and return your attention to your breathing. If you get distracted a hundred times, bring yourself back to your breath a hundred times. Now lets just take the next few minutes to focus completely on breathing. (Allow several minutes for focused breathing.) Turn your full attention to the rise and fall of your chest. Notice how your chest rises and falls, expands and contracts Notice that you are bringing life-giving energy, oxygen, to your lungs, which then transfers to your body Imagine that you are breathing in this energy in the form of light Choose a soft color like light blue or soft pink, and imagine that with each breath you are bringing in this colored oxygen to fill your lungs Picture your lungs expanding and contracting and being filled with this soft light, and just as oxygen spreads, imagine this light spreading to your heart bringing energy to your heart And now imagine the light growing and spreading further throughout your body, just like oxygen would Picture the light traveling to your abdomen and growing so that it spreads to your legs and arms Imagine this light filling your body and flowing up into your head Picture the light spreading out to your fingertips and to the tips of your toes And now imagine that the light can pass outside of your skin. Imagine it spreading until it completely circles you as if you were enclosed in a ball of light energy Allow yourself to just rest in this energy breathing in and out feeding your body with the breath. (Take a few minutes to allow the client to be present to this image). Now, releasing your attention from the light image, gently focus on just the rise and fall of your breathing and then on your body and how it feels to sit in the chair. Notice the placement of your feet, your arms, and your head. Picture what the room will look like when you open your eyes and, when you are ready, rejoin the room by opening your eyes.

Robyn D. Walser & Darrah Westrup/New Harbinger Publications 2007

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder & Trauma-Related Problems