In the one-to-two ratio breath,
You'll be extending your exhalation about twice as long as the length of the inhale.
This practice can help to focus the mind and also has deep physiological relaxation benefits.
First,
Find a position that will be comfortable for you.
This can be seated,
On some support on the floor,
Or in a chair,
Or with your back against the wall.
But you can also do this practice lying down,
Which is a wonderful and rejuvenating way to practice.
You decide what's right for you today.
Once you've found your position,
Bring the focus inside,
Either closing your eyes or letting your gaze rest in a way that it's as if you're not looking outward,
But rather inward.
Notice the natural movement of your breath right now,
And notice the state of your body,
Your heart rate,
The rate of your breathing,
Where the breath is located,
Body temperature.
And anything else that you're sensing right now.
Then begin to make the breath a little more conscious,
Inhaling and exhaling through your nose,
If that's comfortable.
Initially working with an even breath in and out.
Your lungs are large.
They take up almost the entire space of your ribcage.
So rather than breathing into the chest,
Imagine drawing the breath deep into the lungs,
Filling up your whole ribcage as you breathe.
Front,
Sides,
And back of the ribcage expand on the inhale and release the effort of breathing on the exhale.
Gradually now,
You'll begin to lengthen the exhale,
Breathing in for a count of three or four.
Breathing out for about twice as long.
Make sure there's no strain.
A longer exhale isn't better.
What's more important is the ratio between the two.
I'll guide you through a couple rounds of one to two ratio breath with a three count inhale and a six count exhale.
If that's too fast or too slow for you,
Please adjust.
Start with a normal breath in and normal breath out,
Inhaling and exhaling.
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three.
Exhale,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Normal breath in and out.
Again,
Inhale,
One,
Two,
Three.
Exhale,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Normal breath in,
Normal breath out.
Continue working with the ratio breath at a pace that suits you.
And feel free to insert a normal breath in between cycles or to breathe a few one to two ratio breaths in a row.
If at any point you feel strain,
Please stop taking any breath that works for you.
As you continue with your ratio breath,
Tune in to the beating of your heart.
The heartbeat naturally increases on the inhale and decreases on the exhale.
So by lengthening your exhalation,
You're spending more time in the lowered heart rate.
Take a few more rounds of this one to two ratio breath,
Noticing what's happening in your body right now.
Feel free to adjust the ratio if you want it longer or shorter.
Now,
After your next exhalation,
I invite you to let go of any control over the breath,
Just letting it come and go.
And notice what was the impact of this practice on your body and mind.
I invite you to harness the power of your breath anytime when you're wanting to create a shift,
A change in your state of being.
Thank you for practicing.
