Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: bb75ebff5bcf8cf0c09cc63c396a26faa1ec58d99ef2842550b2f0bc4202824b

# Mindful Breathing

Participants practice resting attention on a specific physical anchor point during a brief guided breathing exercise. They observe natural breathing, notice mental distractions, and optionally share reflections on sustaining focus.

**Time:** 8 minutes. UWT suggested 8-minute duration, expanding the source 5 to 15 minute band into explicit phased steps.
**People:** 4 to 24. Individual practice in a shared room; optional whole-group reflection

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Practice directing and sustaining attention on a physical sensory anchor point without judgment.
**Use it when:** Use as a transition between complex agenda topics, after a high-energy breakout, or to start a session requiring prolonged individual focus.
**Skip it when:** Skip during intense physical activities, active crisis management, or when participants strongly prefer active dialogue over quiet inward exercises.

## Materials and tools

- Chairs or floor cushions
- One timer for the facilitator
- One copy of the guided script for the facilitator

## Before participants arrive

1. Arrange chairs in a circle or ensure participants have comfortable seating at their desks.
2. Minimize external room noise, door movement, and incoming alerts.

## Say this to open

We are taking six minutes to practice a brief mindful breathing exercise. The goal is to practice resting your attention on a single physical sensation. You do not need to change your breathing or force any special state. If focusing on breathing causes discomfort at any point, simply shift your attention to your feet on the floor or rest quietly.

## How to run it

### 1. Set posture and purpose (1 minutes)

Explain the activity and establish personal choice. Read the opening script. Direct everyone to find a balanced seated posture with feet flat on the floor and hands resting in their lap or on a work surface.

### 2. Select an anchor point (1 minutes)

Guide participants to select an anchor point. Offer three choices: the sensation of air moving past the nostrils, the rise and fall of the chest, or the movement of the abdomen. Participants who prefer not to focus on breath choose the weight of their feet on the floor.

### 3. Run guided breathing (3 minutes)

Facilitate the breath observation using slow, clear prompts: 'Allow your breath to move naturally. Pay attention to your chosen anchor point as you breathe in, and as you breathe out. When thoughts, sounds, or physical sensations pull your mind away, notice that your attention has drifted. Without frustration, gently bring your focus back to your anchor point.' Maintain 15 to 20 seconds of silence between short reminders.

### 4. Transition back to the room (1 minutes)

Gently close the breathing period: 'Take one deeper breath in, exhale fully, and bring your awareness back to the room. Move your fingers and toes, and open your eyes if they were closed.'

### 5. Reflect on attention (2 minutes)

Ask the debrief questions to the group. Invite two to three participants to share their experience of noticing distractions or tracking their anchor point. Emphasize that sharing is completely optional.


## Debrief questions

- What physical anchor point felt easiest to track, and what made it noticeable?
- When attention shifted away, what was the first sign you noticed that a distraction had occurred?
- How might pausing to track three deliberate breaths be applied during a busy work day?

**Finished output:** Completion of a 3-minute guided breath pause, with optional recorded observations

## Remote

Run via video meeting. Invite participants to adjust their seats and decide whether to keep video on or off during the quiet practice. Read the script with microphone close and clear. Use chat or unmuted voice for the debrief.

## Hybrid

Maintain an open room microphone and ask in-person participants to speak clearly during debrief. Remote participants can post reflections in the chat or speak via video.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may close their eyes or keep them open with a low, soft gaze on the floor.
- Anyone may opt out of breath observation and simply sit quietly, sketch, or take an alternate quiet break without explanation.
- People with respiratory or anxiety conditions can choose an anchor point outside the breath, such as hands resting on the table or feet touching the floor.

## If the session gets stuck

**A participant expresses anxiety or difficulty when asked to focus on their breath.**

Remind the participant they can immediately switch their anchor point to a neutral physical sensation like the soles of their feet on the floor or their hands on the desk.

**The room becomes uncomfortable during extended silence.**

Provide a brief grounding cue every 20 seconds so people know the practice is ongoing and supported.


## Terms used here

- Anchor point: A specific physical sensation, such as air at the nostrils or the rise of the belly, used as a reference point for attention.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo as 'Mindful Breathing', attributed on the page to Lisa Laura.

The original Playmeo entry references paywalled downloadable scripts and generic steps. UWT supplied an open, complete 3-minute guided breath script using standard physical anchor points, concrete step timings, access options for breath sensitivity, and a structured debrief.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/health-wellbeing/mindful-breathing)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/health-wellbeing/mindful-breathing/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/guided-mindfulness-meditation-for-relaxation-mindful-breathing/