The 3 Minute Breathing Space


“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way,

on purpose, in the present moment non-judgmentally.”

Jon Kabat-Zenn

Our day-to-day existence consists of multitasking, many of which are automatic routines, so we often find that our attention is not within our realm of control. It’s like our minds have a mind of their own. Having the ability to guide or direct our awareness intentionality is key to wellness and wellbeing because it allows us to be more fully engage and participate in our lives. It takes practice to hone your attentional skills and this 3-minute breathing space (3MBS) is a wonderful way to train your brain to get better at targeted awareness.
Developed to be a moment-to-moment practice in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reducation (MBSR), 3MBR emphasizes the mental tasks of shifting attention, checking in, and moving on. It provides a way to break out of auto-pilot mode and reconnect with yourself and the environment around you at that particular moment as you find it. One minute each is spent on widening awareness, narrowing awareness, then back to widening awareness. There are three steps to the practice:

  1. Attend to what is. Notice broadly one’s current moment experience as a whole without changing what is being observed.
  2. Focus on the breath. The field of attention is now focused on just the breath in the body.
  3. Attend to the body. Widen attention again to include the body as a whole and any sensations that are present. Again without changing anything that is being observed.

Basic Instructions

  1. Arriving
    • Bring yourself into the present moment by sitting in a dignified posture.
    • If comfortable, close your eyes, or close them half way focusing a few inches or feet in front.
    • Ask yourself:
      • What is my experience right now… my thoughts… my feelings… my bodily sensations?
      • Non-judgmentally, and with a sense of curiosity, observe, acknowledge, and identify your experience, even if it is unwanted or uncomfortable.

  2. Gathering
    • Now, gently redirect your full attention to your breathing. Focusing on each in-breath and each out-breath as they follow, one after the other.
    • Focus your attention on the exact moment that the inhale transitions to the exhale and the exhale transitions to the inhale.

    3. Remember, your breath can function as an anchor you into the present moment and help you tune into a state of awareness and stillness.

  3. Expanding
    • Now, expand the field of your awareness around your breathing, so that it includes your whole body, including your posture and facial expression.
    • Notice the present moment of your thoughts because they are your thoughts. Nothing else.
    • Notice the present moment of your feelings because they are your feelings. Nothing else.
    • Notice the present moment of your bodily sensations because they are your sensations.
      Nothing else.

End your practice by taking a deeper than normal cleansing breath and return to your everyday sense of awareness, bringing with you a little bit of something that maybe wasn’t there before.


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