Find a comfortable seat,
Preferably sitting upright,
Somewhere where you can have a nice long spine.
Legs can be crossed,
Feet can be on the floor,
Whatever is most comfortable in this moment.
And we're going to be engaging with a short alternate nostril breathing practice,
Also known as Nadi Shodhana.
And this practice helps to calm the mind,
Reduce stress,
Enhance focus and concentration,
Among many other subtle body benefits.
And so as you find this seat,
Allow your eyes to soften to a close or find a soft city gaze on the lap,
On the table in front of you.
And take this first moment just to be,
Just to notice how you're arriving in this place of stillness.
And traditionally,
Nadi Shodhana is completed with two mudras.
In the left palm,
We bring our pointed finger and thumb together in a chin mudra.
In our right hand,
We bend our pointer finger and middle finger in towards the center of the palm in Vishnu mudra.
Feel free to engage with these mudras,
And also they're not necessary for this practice.
So maybe you're finding the left palm,
Palm face up,
Pointer finger and thumb touch,
You can just rest that palm on your lap.
And in the right palm,
Bend the pointer finger and middle finger,
And take a nice free round of breath through both nostrils,
Inhale,
And a long breath out of both nostrils,
Exhale.
So one more free round of breath like that,
Inhale,
And exhale.
Good.
And then with your right thumb,
Close your right nostril,
Breathe in through the left nostril.
And then with your right index finger or ring finger,
Close the left nostril,
Release the right,
Breathe out right.
Keep left closed,
Breathe in right.
And then close right with the thumb,
Release left,
Breathe out left.
And that's one full complete round.
Keep right closed,
Inhale left.
Close left,
Exhale right.
Keep left closed,
Inhale right.
Close right,
Exhale left.
And we continue like this,
Right stays closed,
Inhale left.
Close left,
Exhale right.
Inhale right.
Close right,
Exhale left.
Inhale left.
Close left,
Exhale right.
Inhale right.
Close right,
Exhale left.
And continue with this pattern on your own.
We're inhaling left,
Closing left,
Exhale right.
Left stays closed,
Inhale right.
And then close right,
Exhale left.
And a few more rounds on your own,
Just finding the cadence.
Inhale left,
Exhale right.
Inhale right,
Exhale left.
And if the mind at all starts to wander,
Just return your awareness back to the breath.
Inhale left,
Exhale right.
Inhale right,
Exhale left.
Good.
The next time you breathe out of your left nostril,
You can let go of your right nostril.
Let this practice go for now.
Both hands can rest in your lap.
And take one final moment just to be.
Notice any effects of the practice in your mind,
Your body,
Your spirit in this moment.
And maybe you continue on to a silent seated meditation.
Or maybe this completes the practice for this moment.
Namaste.
