Hello listeners,
Welcome to this space of slowing down and taking a breath break.
Now I know sometimes it's really challenging to find just a few minutes to pause what you're doing or to shift gears but we know that sometimes those little pauses can make all the difference in our day.
They can be sometimes the most potent and important piece of of what we do and so I invite you to take a breath break with me.
If you're doing something like driving a vehicle or something that requires your attention,
Pause this and come back to it when you can set things aside and find some place that maybe you can close your eyes or at least settle into your body in some way.
So our breath break today is going to be a breath pattern that I was taught by my teacher.
It's a breath pattern of four by four by six by two.
We find ourselves exhaling longer which actually helps to soothe our nervous system and to shift us into that rest and digest mode.
And so as we start to move into this space,
As always,
I ask you to try to get comfortable so that your body doesn't become a huge distraction from the pranayama that we're practicing.
If you're in a chair,
You can stay in a chair.
Place your feet on the ground.
Let there be some solid structure connection to the floor or your mat or the ground.
If you're on the floor,
Find a position that works for you and if you're laying down,
You can absolutely do this laying down.
Just try to be in a position of wakefulness or a little bit of attentiveness so that you don't fall asleep or maybe you're using this to fall asleep and that's okay as well.
So I want you to invite your eyes to close and if that's not a good place for you to be,
Then I just want you to find a soft gaze somewhere that works.
If you're seated,
This might be down at the floor.
And then I want you to just notice the breath before we actually try to control it a bit,
Before we change it,
Before we shift it.
Just notice how it is,
Where it flows in and out of the body,
Where it fills the body.
And then I want you to work to take a big breath in.
So I really want you to work to fill the lungs to full capacity.
Breathe it all the way in and then sigh it out.
Let it go.
And the next time you breathe in,
Try breathing in two,
Three,
Four and then hold it full.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Slow exhale.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Hold at the bottom for two.
Inhale.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold it at the top.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Slow exhale.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Hold it empty for two.
Inhale.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold it full.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Slow exhale.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Hold it empty.
Two,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold it full.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Slow exhale.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Hold for two.
Try it again on your own.
Inhaling for four.
Holding at the top.
Holding it full for four.
Exhaling for the count of six.
Holding for the count of two.
Stay with it.
And if you want to meet back up with me,
We'll do it three more times.
Inhale.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold it full.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Slow exhale.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Hold it empty for two.
Inhale.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold it full.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Hold it empty for two.
One more time.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold at the top.
Two,
Three,
Four.
Slow exhale.
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Hold it empty for two.
And then reset breath in.
Slow breath out.
And then allow your body to just be still for a moment more.
Notice the lingering effects of shifting into that deeper,
Slower,
More extended exhale.
Notice what there is to notice.
And after taking a little pause,
You can do two to three more rounds of this breath.
If you feel like this breath break,
Just as it is,
Was enough,
I encourage you to go back to your day,
Maybe a little more connected to your body,
A little more connected to your breath,
And maybe a little calmer in the nerves.
I'll leave you here in hopes to see you again.
From my heart to yours,
Namaste.
