Hello,
Welcome back.
I'm Sarah,
A somatic facilitator and coach,
Here to help you build nervous system resilience so you can live up to your fullest potential with ease and confidence.
I'll be guiding you through meditation,
Breath work,
Visualization,
And deep rest so that you can explore the pause between where you've been and where you're going.
Welcome to liminal space.
Take a moment to settle yourself.
Find a comfortable position,
Whether that's seated or laying down.
There's nowhere else to be and nothing else to be doing.
Allow the external world to fade as you turn inward.
We're not here to achieve.
We're not here to fix.
We're just using this time together to listen.
Let your body be supported.
Let the surface beneath your body hold you.
Feel your bones heavy to the earth and your muscles just melting around them.
And then gently and softly allow your eyes to close if that feels comfortable or maybe just lowering your gaze.
And if you'd like to set a sankalpa,
An intention for this practice,
Sow that seed now.
Today we'll explore resonance breathing.
This is a guided practice that research shows can support regulation of the nervous system,
Emotional balance,
And a sense of internal coherence.
There's a natural rhythm in the body where breathing,
Heart rate,
And blood pressure begin to synchronize and this coordination is linked to the baroreflex,
One of the systems that helps regulate blood pressure and communicate safety throughout the body.
When we breathe at this resonant pace,
Many people experience a steadier heart rhythm,
Improved heart rate variability,
Which is a sign of adaptability and a greater sense of calm.
For many adults,
This resonant zone falls somewhere between four and six breaths per minute,
Around a five to six second inhale and a five to six second exhale.
But your personal resonance rhythm may be slightly different and that's completely natural.
This isn't about forcing the breath,
It's about listening for a rhythm that your system can trust.
I'll be guiding you today through a five second inhale and a five second exhale,
But if my pace doesn't work for you,
Feel free to find your own.
Your breath is yours.
I will stop guiding the inhale and the exhale and a chime of a crystal bowl will replace my words.
But before we start to shape our breath,
We meet it exactly as it is.
Start to listen to the hum of your interior.
Notice your breath arriving and leaving.
No need to change it,
Just simply observe.
Just receiving your breath,
Allowing your breath to breathe your body.
And notice where you feel your breath today.
Do you feel it entering the nose?
Maybe feel it in the chest,
The back of the body,
The belly?
Is it shallow or is it deep?
Fast or slow?
And know that there's no right answer here.
It's just purely information.
A gentle check-in with your inner world.
And wherever you met your breath just now,
See if you can slow your breath down a little.
Maybe breathing a little more gently and sending your breath to your lower ribs.
Feeling this 360 dimension through the front,
The sides and the back of your body.
Just keep this breath nice and smooth,
Nice and steady.
Before we start the practice,
We'll take a natural breath,
Just inhaling and exhaling.
And when you're ready,
We'll breathe in 2,
3,
4,
5 and out 2,
3,
4,
5.
Inhaling and exhaling.
Let the breath be smooth,
No strain,
No rush.
Relaxing into the earth with each breath.
If the mind starts to wander,
That's completely normal.
Just keep coming back to your breath.
Final breath here.
And then releasing all control of your breath.
Let it return to its natural pace,
Its natural rhythm.
And notice where it returns to,
How it wants to move on its own.
And now in this stillness,
Notice if anything has shifted since we began.
Resonance breathing is subtle,
So it may not be an obvious change.
It's about fine-tuning and small adjustments that create coherence over time.
Bring your awareness to the internal hum of your body and allow that awareness to drift outward again,
Feeling the energy of the space around you.
Sense the ground supporting you.
Bring a little movement back into your body,
Twinkling fingers and toes.
And when it feels good to do so,
Fluttering the eyes open.
Resonance breathing is something you can return to at any moment,
Whenever you're feeling off-balance or need a steady rhythm.
Your breath is a quiet anchor,
A guide.
Bring your intention back into your mind's eye and feel it take up space in your body.
Bring gratitude to yourself for taking the time to embody your breath and bring balance back into your body.
Rest well and I'll see you next time.
