Welcome to this 10-minute breathwork practice for recovery.
If you've worked your body hard today and you're finding it difficult to switch off,
This is for you.
Will slow the breath down.
Lengthen the exhale and use some gentle visualisation to support your muscles as they repair.
There's absolutely nothing intense in this practice,
So all you need to do is lie down somewhere comfortable,
Ideally in your bed.
And let your body be fully supported.
Make yourself comfortable lying down.
Let the whole body be supported.
Nothing to hold up.
Nothing to do.
If it feels right,
Let the eyes close or soften your gaze towards the ceiling.
You've asked a lot of your body today and this is where the work actually lands.
Recovery isn't separate from training.
It's the other side of it.
So for the next 10 minutes,
Your only job is to do less.
Notice the points of contact beneath you,
The back of your head.
Your shoulders,
Your hips,
Your heels.
And with each breath out,
Let yourself be a little heavier.
Take one slightly fuller breath in through your nose now.
And sigh it out through the mouth.
Letting the jaw go loose.
And again,
Breathing in.
And sighing it out.
Now let the mouth close.
And let the breath come and go through the nose if that feels available for you.
We're going to gently lengthen the out-breath.
The exhale is where the body shifts into rest and repair.
The heart rate slows and the muscles begin to release.
There's no straining here.
And if any count feels like an effort,
Just shorten it.
Softness always wins.
Breathing in through the nose for a count of four and breathing out through the nose for a count of six.
We'll take the first few breaths together.
Breathing in.
2,
3,
4 and out 2,
3,
4,
5,
6 Breathing in 2,
3,
4 and breathing out 2,
3,
4,
5,
6 Inhale 2,
3,
4.
Exhale,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Breathing in,
2,
3,
4.
And breathing out,
2,
3,
4.
Keep going with this rhythm.
Let the breath be quiet.
Low in the body.
Belly rising softly as you breathe in.
And falling as you breathe out.
As you settle into this rhythm,
Perhaps start to notice the moment the exhale ends.
How the body softens right there.
The shoulders sinking.
The face smoothing out.
The hands unfurling and relaxing.
Each out breath is an invitation to let go of a little more effort.
Breathing in for four.
And breathing out for six.
If the mind wanders back.
Or a head,
That's fine.
Just let the count of the exhale gently bring you back.
Keeping this easy rhythm in for fall.
And a hop for six.
And as you do so,
I'm going to bring some imagination in to support your recovery.
With every breath in.
Imagine drawing in fresh oxygen.
And picture it moving from the lungs into the bloodstream.
Warm and nourishing for the body.
And with every breath out,
Imagine sending that blood exactly where it's needed.
Into the muscles that have worked hardest today.
Into the muscles that need that recovery.
Breathing in,
Gathering.
And breathing out,
Sending warmth into the legs,
The thighs,
The calves.
Feel them soften and grow heavy.
Breathe in.
And breathe out into the shoulders and the arms.
Imagine the muscle fibers being bathed.
Feds,
Repaired.
Notice if anywhere feels particularly sore or tender,
Breathing towards it kindly.
Picture warmth pooling there.
Circulation doing its quiet work,
Carrying in what the tissues need and carrying away what it doesn't.
Nothing to force,
Simply pointing the body towards what it already knows how to do.
Rebuild.
Restore.
Recover.
Let the whole body feel warm now,
Heavy,
Well supplied.
Like it's sinking into a warm bath from the outside.
And for the last part of the breathing,
We'll add a small soft pause after the exhale.
This is not a breath hold with effort,
It's simply resting into the stillness at the bottom of the breath.
And if it doesn't feel comfortable,
Skip the pause and just stay with the longer exhale.
So as you breathe in for four.
And as you breathe out for six,
Just pausing at the end of the exhale and just resting empty for a count of two.
Relaxed,
No gripping.
And then coming in,
Breathing in for four,
And out for six.
Resting for two.
Notice how still everything becomes in the pause.
The whole system quietening.
The body dropping another layer down towards sleep.
Breathing in for full.
Breathing out to sit.
And then pausing.
Now let go of all the counting.
All techniques.
Just let the breath return to its own natural rhythm,
Small and quiet and effortless.
The body knows what to do from here.
Throughout the night it will keep repairing,
Rebuilding,
Growing stronger from the work that you did today.
Trust in that process.
Trust in your body.
There is nowhere else to be,
Nothing left to do.
Just simply let yourself drift.
Drift off into sleep,
There's no need to come back.
And if you do need to get up,
Take your time,
Move slow.
And carry this softness with you.
