Today on Mello, we’re imagining what it feels like to be a tall, mighty oak tree—rooted, strong, and breathing with the world around us. Together, we’ll practice the “Breath of Joy,” a playful exercise of three big sniffs and one long sigh, while learning how trees make the very air we breathe. From photosynthesis to the tiny stomata under their leaves, we’ll discover how trees give us the gift of oxygen—and how we can thank them with every breath we take.

Trees Making Air Breath of Joy Thank you for joining us today! Here at Mello we like to take you on little journeys with your mind and today our breath! ALSO we’d love your support! Check out our Patreon link in our podcast description. There you will find exclusive meditations, soundscapes, and resources to keep you mello all day long. Before we begin let’s start by getting our wiggles out. Go ahead and wiggle. That’s right–your toes and arms, your fingers and legs. Wiggle them up and down and all around. Now settle those wiggles into a comfortable spot. Take a deep breath in, feeling your body fill with calm.… as you exhale whisper to yourself, ‘I am safe.’ Inhale again… and feel love fill your body.as you exhale whisper, ‘I am loved.’ With one more deep breath, your imagination is ready. So let’s begin our adventure… Imagine you are a tall mighty oak. Stretch out your arms as branches reaching towards the sky. Extend your fingers like little leaves. Feel a gentle breeze rustling each leaf. Let your toes act like roots tickling the dirt, holding you strong and steady. Okay, stand tall now, your legs like a tree trunk. Next we are going to take 3 breaths before we allow ourselves to exhale, ready? (sniff, sniff, sniff, haaaaaaaa) Take a deep breath as the tree, scooping up sunshine with your branches. Lifting your arms towards your chest. Breathe in….(deep inhale noise) Take your second breath spreading your arms out wide, extending our branches as far as you can. (deep inhale noise) Keep holding, as you take your third breath. Reach up, up, up, again towards the bright blue sky. You are growing taller. (deep inhale noise) Now exhale with a big sigh…haaaaaaaaa… That's right, let it all out. Let’s do it again. Inhale and scoop, inhale again, spread your arms wide, inhale one more time reaching up (sniff, sniff, sniff!) Now out with a sigh (haaaah!) One more time, even bigger! (sniff, sniff, sniff, haaaaaaaa) Stand still. Put your hands on your heart. Do you feel your chest rising and falling? That’s the air trees give you, invisible yet powerful, traveling all the way from their leaves into you. Next time you’re near a tree, try this. Look at its leaves and really see them. Hold in your mind how magnificent they are, turning sunlight into food for the tree…That’s photosynthesis my friend. And when the leaves have completed their work, they are left with oxygen which diffuses back into the world through the underside of a leaf called the stomata, making clean air for you. Take a quiet breath in and whisper: Thank you, trees. Before we end, let's do more breaths together. Inhale and scoop, inhale again, spread your arms wide, inhale one more time reaching up (sniff, sniff, sniff!) Now out with a sigh (haaaah!) feel your own chest open up. And again… (sniff, sniff, sniff, haaaaaaaa) One more time, the biggest yet! (sniff, sniff, sniff, haaaaaaaa) Well done my little tree. Bask in this moment of sunshine and clean air, remember your breaths throughout your day. They will guide you, focus you, and keep you strong as the forest of trees.