Hi,
Welcome to this short breathing practice to bring you back into balance.
So find a comfortable seat and close your eyes.
And if you're sitting in a chair,
Just make sure you've got support at the lower back.
So sitting back in your chair and have your feet about hip distance apart on the floor.
And start to bring your attention to your breath.
And as you sit here,
See if you can lengthen the spine sitting up tall with the crown of your head over the base of your spine.
So steady and yet relaxed.
Relax your face,
Relax your belly and relax the need to be anywhere else.
Be comfortable.
And just notice the quality of your breath as the breath flows effortlessly in and out through your nose.
For the duration of this practice,
Keep your awareness on your breath and the breath flowing in and out through the nose.
Anytime your mind wanders,
Acknowledge that it has wandered and then bring it back to the breath again and again and again.
So I'm going to offer you a rhythm to apply to your breath that will help to settle your mind and calm your nervous system.
And your one job is simply to follow my lead,
Smoothing out each cycle of breath.
So finish the breath that you're on now and exhale fully drawing your navel towards your spine at the end of the exhale.
And then smoothly and steadily inhale through your nose for a count of four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Pause two,
One.
Exhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Pause two,
One.
Inhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Pause two,
One.
Exhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Pause two,
One.
Continue.
So inhale for four,
Pause for two,
Exhale for four,
And pause for two.
So that's your rhythm.
You can adjust the tempo,
Speeding up or slowing down slightly so that it's comfortable and sustainable,
But allow that rhythm to start to draw you into complete focus,
Letting the mind rest on the breath.
Nothing else to do and nowhere else to be.
You're doing a great job.
Now you can keep that rhythm going just like that,
Or if you'd like to start to lengthen it out a little bit,
We can change those numbers to six,
Three,
Six,
Three.
So inhaling for six,
Pausing for three,
Exhaling for six,
And pausing for three,
But only if that's comfortable.
You might notice if you do take that rhythm change that it starts to drop you in a little more.
Maybe you can sense a vibrancy and a nourishing quality that comes on the inhale and a releasing,
Relaxing,
And a letting go that goes on the exhale.
Keep going.
Another few rounds like that.
Great,
Great job.
So if that feels pretty good,
You're welcome to stay exactly as you are with six,
Three,
Six,
Three,
But if you'd like to step it up one more notch and drop in a little further,
Take it up to eight,
Four,
Eight,
Four,
In for eight,
Pause for four,
Out for eight,
And pause for four,
But again only if it's sustainable and comfortable for you to do that.
A few more rounds in whatever configuration you've chosen.
Nourishing,
Vibrant on the inhale,
Letting go,
Releasing on the exhale.
Maybe you can even sense a spaciousness in those pauses between a place where there is no thought,
Just being.
And take another cycle just like that.
And then when you're ready,
On the next cycle we'll take it back down to four,
Two,
Four,
Two,
And just notice the shift and the effect that that has a little easier.
Maybe you feel like you drop in a little more.
Great job.
And then let's take it down again.
Two,
One,
Two,
One.
Getting a sense that the breath is almost dissolving here.
And feel free to rest in those pauses in between the inhale and the exhale for as long as you like.
You might notice by this point that the body is less and less inclined to breathe at all.
Welcome that.
Take one more cycle and then release the counting all together.
So no technique.
And bring your awareness to the very center of your heart.
Allow your awareness to rest there in that space.
The space from where the breath arises and to where the breath returns.
Dissolve there just for the next few moments.
Gently start to deepen your breath.
And bring one hand over your heart and then the other on top of it.
And breathe deeply into that space.
May you be happy.
May you be well.
May you be peaceful.
And may you be free.
Thank you.
Namaste.
