Welcome to this breath-based practice.
We will be focusing with the breath for the next moments.
But before we do,
Let's just settle in to this moment.
So arriving here,
No matter where we're coming from,
No matter where we're headed to after this practice,
Allowing yourself to connect with that timeless space that we call the now.
So maybe you want to do a few neck rolls,
A few shoulder rolls,
Loosen the jaw a little bit,
Close the eyes and roll the eyes back and forth,
Especially in this moment where we're so screen focused.
It's nice to give the eyes a little bit of a massage,
Looking down,
Looking up,
Looking side to side,
Slowing down to the speed of now.
So this is an offering around the breath and three different ways to work with the breath and exploration.
So the first way we're going to work with the breath is to quote-unquote follow the breath.
So no doubt you've heard that instruction many times,
Follow the breath.
So let's sync up with the breath wherever it may be.
Finding that inhale,
It's already happening,
So we don't have to do anything special.
Finding the exhale,
It's already happening.
Now quantum physics tells us that the act of observation often changes something.
So I know we most of us have experienced that with breath-based awareness.
We come to follow the breath or to notice the breath and then suddenly things are changing,
Things can get awkward.
So just allowing for that reality when we observe something,
It can change it.
And paradoxically knowing that can open up a little bit more space of allowing,
Just allowing the breath to do what it's doing.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
With each exhale,
Surrender a little more.
And with each inhale,
Allow the lungs,
The belly,
Everything to expand a little more.
So we're working with the expansion side of the breath and the release,
The let go on the exhale,
Just following the breath.
The second offering around the breath is to actually be the breath.
So let's let go of the idea of following the breath and introduce the idea of being the breath.
Whatever that means to you.
Notice what subtle or perhaps not so subtle shifts happen when we move from following the breath to actually being the breath,
Being the inhale,
Being the exhale.
And of course this moves into a non-dualistic space.
When we work with following the breath,
There is some inherent duality.
The breath is happening and I am outside of the breath watching it.
When the invitation is to be the breath,
There's a way that we sync up and honor the reality that we actually are breathing.
We are the breath and we are the breather.
We are the lungs and we are the person who experiences the lungs.
We are the diaphragm and we are the one who can observe the diaphragm drop and the diaphragm rise.
So just allowing yourself to be the breath for these next few moments.
And now we'll turn toward the third way that I'm offering today as a way to work with the breath and that is to allow the breath to breathe you.
Allow the breath to breathe you.
And again notice whatever subtle and perhaps not so subtle shifts happen when we introduce the idea of just allowing the breath to breathe you.
For me what I've noticed is that there is even a deeper level of surrender.
Letting go,
Allowing a deeper sense of non-doing,
Non-interference.
Allow the breath to breathe you.
So to close this practice session I'd just like to say that I feel like there's a place for all three of those techniques.
With following the breath I think it's especially helpful when our mind is busy,
When we're rattled by something,
Perhaps when strong emotions are arising.
Really having that sense of focus and directed focus with the breath following it.
Even counting the breaths in those kinds of moments.
Breathing in on one,
Breathing out on one.
Just really to stabilize.
It's a very helpful technique.
With being the breath,
Again see what's true for you but for me there's a kind of that deeper sense of surrender,
Letting go,
Allowing a oneness,
A moving away from duality.
And with letting the breath breathe me there's even a deeper sense of non-duality,
A deeper sense of relaxation,
Surrender,
That non-interference.
When I'm being the breath there's still some tiny sense of doing.
And when I allow the breath to breathe me,
Those tiny tendrils of control and doing really fall away.
And I can give the breath back to the body,
Back to the subconscious control even while consciously being aware and connecting with the breath.
So I invite you to play with all three of these possibilities as you are doing your breath work over the next days and weeks.
Thank you so much for your practice.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you live with ease and well-being.
