Welcome to this indigo alchemy meditation,
Breathing your way back to center.
This is a space to return to yourself,
Through your breath,
Through awareness,
To your quiet inner wisdom within.
There's nothing you need to figure out right now,
No other place to be,
Just arrive in this moment and be still.
And before we begin,
Let's take a moment to understand the subtle currents of our breath we'll be working with.
In yogic wisdom,
The breath carries prana,
The life force energy that animates the body.
And within you,
This energy moves in five natural directions,
Known as the vayus.
Prana vayu lives in the heart space.
It is the current of receiving.
Your ability to take in breath,
Nourishment and life.
Apana vayu moves downward through the lower body.
It is the current of release,
Letting go,
Grounding and returning to the earth.
Samana vayu rests at your center.
It is the current of balance,
Integrating,
Stabilizing and bringing you back to yourself.
Udana vayu rises upward through the throat and head.
It is the current of expression and clarity,
Your voice,
Your truth,
Your awareness.
And vayana vayu moves everywhere at once.
It is the current of connection and expansion,
Circulating energy through your entire being.
You don't need to control any of this.
Simply by bringing awareness to the breath and these currents,
They begin to organize themselves.
We'll spend some time breathing naturally in and out as we explore all five.
Let's begin.
So into a comfortable seated position,
Perhaps on a chair or on a yoga mat on the floor or some cushions that are supportive.
Let your body grow heavy and relaxed.
Feel the weight of your body being held by the earth beneath you.
Completely supported and completely safe.
Let your hands rest softly in your lap.
And if it feels right,
Allow your eyes to close.
Alternatively,
You may lower your eyes to a soft gaze on an object nearby.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and a long unhurried breath out through your mouth.
Again,
Inhale and exhale,
Letting the body soften.
One more time,
Inhale,
Gently lengthen your spine.
Feel the crown of your head rising toward the sky.
And on your exhale,
Let your shoulders soften and drop.
There's nothing you need to carry right now.
We'll start with Prana Vayu,
Receiving.
Bring your awareness to your heart space,
The center of your chest.
Inhale slowly and feel the chest gently expand.
Imagine the breath as a soft indigo light moving into this space.
Receiving without effort,
Without resistance.
Notice the fullness at the top of your inhale and rest there briefly for a moment.
Then exhale slowly and gently,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Breathe in a welcoming reception to your breath and breathe out a softening.
Gently bring your awareness to your heart space.
Inhale slowly and gently exhale.
Breathing in,
Welcome reception.
Breathing out,
Softening.
Next,
We'll move to Upanavayu,
Releasing.
Bring your awareness down to the lower belly.
Feel your weight,
Your connection to the earth.
Inhale gently.
And as you exhale,
Feel your breath moving downward,
Releasing through the body.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Inhale gently.
And as you exhale,
Let something go.
Not by force,
Just by allowing.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Inhale gently.
And as you exhale,
Notice the stillness at the bottom of your exhale.
Feeling empty,
Grounded.
Inhaled.
Breathing in and breathing out.
On to Samadhavayu,
Centering.
Bring your awareness to your center,
Just behind the navel.
Imagine a small,
Steady flame here.
Warm.
Quiet.
Unmoving.
Inhale,
Feel the energy gather at your center.
And exhale,
Feel it begin to settle.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Inhale and notice the energy filling your center.
And exhale as it begins to make its way down.
Breathing in and breathing out.
And inhale,
Feeling the energy at your center as balanced,
Steady,
And whole.
And exhale,
Holding center.
Breathing in and breathing out.
This is your center,
And it's always available beneath the noise.
On to Udanavayu,
Rising.
Bring awareness to the throat,
The jaw,
The space behind your eyes.
Take a slow breath in.
Let the face soften,
Feeling the breath rise upward.
Gently exhale with a release.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Take a slow inhale.
Feel the breath moving up.
And exhale,
Feeling light,
Open,
And clear.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Take another slow inhale.
Notice the gentle rhythm of your breath.
Allow awareness to lift without strain.
And exhale gently through your mouth with a soft release.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Lastly,
Return to Udanavayu,
Expanding.
Now sense the whole body from head to toe.
Take a deeper breath in and feel expansion in all directions.
And exhale,
Feeling the energy spread.
Notice the space around you,
The subtle field beyond your body.
You are not separate from this.
You are a part of this movement.
Now release all focus and let the breath return to its natural rhythm.
Breathing in and breathing out.
These five currents are always moving within you.
Receiving,
Releasing,
Balancing.
Rising,
Expanding.
And the breath is the doorway to all of it.
Take a breath in and a breath out.
Every inhale invites life in.
And every exhale creates space.
Again,
And again,
And again.
Even in the middle of a busy day,
One conscious breath can begin to shift everything.
An inhale and a soft,
Complete exhale.
This is how balance returns.
Begin to deepen your breath slightly.
Feel your body again.
Feel your hands,
Your feet.
Bring your palms together at your heart.
A quiet acknowledgement of your presence here.
Take one final deep breath in.
And a slow,
Steady breath out.
And this is my blessing for you.
May your breath remain a quiet guide.
May your heart stay open to the current of receiving.
May the steady pull of release and grounding help you to let go of what is no longer needed.
May the warm center within you restore balance when life feels uncertain.
May the rising breath bring clarity and expression when your voice is needed.
And may the gentle flow of energy through your whole being remind you that you are connected to something larger than yourself.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes or lift your gaze.
Namaste.
