Make your way to a comfortable seat.
You may wish to place a pillow or cushion beneath the buttocks to have the knees lower than the hips.
Have a nice upright spine,
Relaxing the shoulder blades down the back,
Chin gently tucked,
Long line of energy from base of the spine to the crown of the head,
Imagining a golden thread lifting up through the crown of the head,
Adding length and lift,
Alert but relaxed,
Steady seat.
Bring your awareness to the flow of breath in and out of the nostrils,
Feeling any sensations in or around the nostrils as you breathe in and out.
Now a Sankhya or the nine count breath.
Keep breathing naturally while I explain the practice.
This is a full breath in and out done to the count of nine,
Inhaling into the belly for the count of one,
The count of two inhaling into the chest,
Holding the breath in for counts three,
Four,
Five and six,
The count of seven exhaling dynamically from the diaphragm,
Almost sneezing out.
The exhale should sound something like this.
Suspending the breath out for the counts eight and nine.
I'll guide you through the first few rounds.
Take a full breath in to begin.
Exhale fully.
Inhale,
Belly one,
Chest two,
Hold,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Exhale seven,
Hold eight,
Hold nine,
Inhale,
Belly one,
Chest two,
Hold,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Exhale seven,
Hold eight,
Hold nine,
Inhale,
Belly one,
Chest two,
Hold,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Exhale seven,
Hold eight,
Nine.
Continue breathing,
Now a Sankhya,
With your own count.
This is a great practice to focus the mind,
An energizing breath,
Stimulating circulation and blood flow.
It's also a great practice to start experimenting with diaphragmatic breathing,
As well as the suspension and retention of the breath.
Now a Sankhya is a great practice to do first thing in the morning,
To help bring energy and vitality into the day.
Finishing the round you're on and doing one more full round.
Once you've finished letting go of the practice,
Relaxing all efforts,
Allowing the breath to return to its natural,
Spontaneous rhythm in and out of the nostrils.
Observing any sensations in the body,
Any effects of the practice.
Hara yon tat sat.
Your Pranayama practice is complete.
