Type of Method
• Meditation - Spiritual Guidance
Suitable for
• One to one, personal
Centering breath is a practice which, when repeated consistently, reliably creates a feeling of being “at home,” regardless of external circumstances or internal emotions.
As collapse Guides, we are aware that the future is full of unknowns. Centering is a way to move into the unknown with a focused, clear mind.
“But I’m scared . . . “
We understand that it may sound counter-intuitive to imagine feeling scared and centered. With practice, centering allows us to experience our emotions as both the feeler of the feelings, and as an observer of the chemistry and beliefs which are generating the emotional response.
In this way, we receive the wisdom available through our emotions as well as the gifts of the information which comes from observing those emotions.
Former clients have reported feeling a full panic attack setting in, only to engage in centering and begin to see the source of the attack, which allowed the sensation to move on, and which prevented many future instances.
The self-trust derived from “being at home” in your body regardless of circumstances allows you to make bolder choices and bigger commitments, and to stand in the navigation of what comes next.
Guided training in this method can give you an opportunity to receive specific coaching, and to get your questions answered.
If you choose to take on this practice on your own, here is the recommended approach.
1. Stand or sit with your feet shoulder-width apart, and with your feet flat on the floor
2. Scan up your body, bringing relaxation at each point (slight bend in your knees, relax your belly, release your shoulders down, loosen your jaw)*
3. Place the palm of your hand flat on your stomach, with the tip of your index finger touching your navel / belly button
4. Draw your attention to where your pinky finger now rests (a few centimeters below your navel), and from there draw your attention inward, halfway between the front and back of your body. This is your physical center. Your center of gravity.
5. Placing your full attention in your center, close your eyes and imagine a that glowing ball of light or energy or color there at your center.
6. With every breath you breathe in, notice that your relaxed belly is moving your hand forward as the energy / light of your center expands.
7. As you exhale, your belly relaxes inward, and the light / energy gets a bit smaller.
8. Repeat for a few breaths or a few minutes, as you choose.
9. In order to train your body to understand that you can return to center reliably in any situation, we recommend creating a practice of centering at least three times a day. Put a pop-up reminder on your phone. Or wear three rubber bands around your left wrist and move one to the right wrist each time you center. Find a trigger that reminds you to center, whether you “need to center” or not.
Questions? Reach out to a Guide, and we can support you on your journey.
* At the beginning, many people have found it useful to squeeze their shoulders up tight toward their ears, and then drop them down loose. Similarly, it’s useful to breathe through your mouth in order to help your jaw relax.
Guides using this Method
Brennan Smith
I’m the founder of the Inspired Action Network, and the author of The Art of Inspired Action. To get …