Today we're going to look at some diaphragmatic breath,
It's a practice that we use often in yoga and it can help release anxiety and it'll bring you into your parasympathetic nervous system.
This is the rest and digest system.
So take a comfortable position,
You can do this seated if seated is comfortable for you,
Maybe leaning against a wall,
You can sit on a chair,
Your back is straight as possible or you can lie down on your back with your knees up and the soles of the feet resting on the floor.
Next I'd like you to bring your thumbs and place them at the bottom of your rib cage.
Your rib cage has a diagonal line at the bottom so just place the thumbs,
Both thumbs on both sides on that diagonal line and then let the hands fall down onto the higher belly,
Fingertips pointing in towards each other,
Towards the middle of your body or your belly button.
Start to notice your breath now so start to notice your next inhale followed by your next exhale.
With your hands in this position you should be able to feel a rise and fall with the hands so a physical movement as we inhale the hands will move apart from each other as the diaphragm pushes down and inflates and as we exhale the hands will settle back down towards each other.
Doesn't have to be a really big movement at this point just get used to that feeling of expansion and contraction.
So inhale you'll feel some expansion here in the lower ribs and high belly.
Exhale you'll feel a contraction or a deflation there.
So let's try and make this a little bit longer.
Your next inhale you're going to try and inhale for one,
Two,
Three and then exhale two,
Three.
Again inhale two,
Three,
Exhale two,
Three.
Inhale feel the expansion two,
Three,
Exhale contraction two,
Three.
Keep going three counts for your inhale,
Three counts for your exhale.
Now start to observe the rest of the body.
We want to bring the awareness into this area where we breathe.
The diaphragm is our breathing muscle but it does also impact the rest of the body.
It may move up slightly to the high ribs,
The chest but try not to let it move the shoulders up by the ears.
It may move towards the lower belly,
Try not to let it bring the back off the floor if you are lying down.
So we're concentrating our breath into this area that were the bottom of the rib cage,
The diaphragm.
Again inhaling for two,
Three,
Exhale two,
Three.
Inhale two,
Three,
Exhale two,
Three.
Simple diaphragmatic breaths can be used any time you need to focus in,
Calm down.
Just take a few minutes for yourself.
You can use it for the basis of a meditation or just on its own as a breath work.
So I hope that's given you a quick guide to diaphragmatic breaths.
Just keep following my guide until you feel comfortable to be able to do this on your own.
The light in me honours the light in you.
Thank you everybody.
