Day six,
Welcome your body and your breath to your meditation practice.
Please find a comfortable seat,
Sitting with your eyes softly closed,
Taking a beautiful deep breath in,
Filling your heart and your lungs and holding it here please at the top of your inhale,
Noticing the beating of your heart without creating any more tension and perhaps taking in just a little bit more breath and then softly through your mouth exhale it out as your awareness settles downward anchor your base into the earth growing your roots a little deeper downward and then energetically allowing your next inhalation to help you to elongate your spine sitting up tall reaching through the crown and beyond.
Our intention for today is hope as we hold that intention of hope in our bodies rather than it being a concept in our minds we recognize that it requires an anchored foundation within our self the ability to trust and surrender and to recognize that we have through our own inner vision and creativity and even that spark of passion to move things forward not only within our self but in the world in a more positive way.
Let your breath traverse this central channel of your body,
This super highway of your body that connects the brain to all of the organs to the abdomen to every function of your body to the nervous system to the messages of the hormonal system when we feed our body well it responds well and we don't have to worry we trust.
This breath practice that we'll do now is going to take us on the inhalation into the base of the spine which is a little different than lifting on the inhale so we inhale downward our awareness and as we exhale we're going to exhale upward through the crown of the head and let it become a three-dimensional breath as you inhale downward fill your whole body from your foundation sides front the back all the way up and as you exhale and soften energetically downward keep stretching upward to soften the tissue of your body and feel your body kind of contract on the exhale keep reaching through the crown with your awareness.
So follow that rhythm inhale awareness descends as you fill your body up and as you exhale awareness ascends as you feel a deflation but not energetic feeling of losing hope but rather just relaxing and settling surrendering inhaling filling as you anchor exhale reaching as you empty and we're going to do that same rhythm but we're going to work what we call alternate nostril breathing with your right thumb close your right nostril with your first two fingers drop them down curl them in inhale just through your left side ring and pinky can touch the side of the nose to help bring air in close off your left nostril only with your right already closed and then open your right and exhale out inhale through your right nose off the right side and exhale left repeat inhale left gently close the nostril and exhale open the right inhale right close the right and exhale left now we're going to add a retention and inhale left close both nostrils and hold here in this retention you're not pinching your nose so tight and keeping it lightly closed but not breathing and then open just the right side and exhale inhale right now awareness is going to descend as you inhale and hold here hold into that anchored place at the base of your spine now as you exhale left let your attention and awareness rise up through the crown of your head inhale left awareness going right back down to the base hold and exhale right awareness is rising see if you can hold inhale right awareness descends and hold and exhale left awareness ascends hold last time beautiful release your hands take a natural breath let yourself center within the center part of your belly we're still down towards below the navel we're anchoring ourselves into that stability of our root system that knows how to move forward in a positive way by anchoring into the earth to our root system to what we know to be true deep within us so keep holding steady at your base and allow your body to grow to the crown of your head even as you maybe hold one hand at your belly in fact put your hand on your lower belly and place the other hand at the very top of your head and press your fingertip into the crown and reach tall so you're being pulled upward as you're staying plugged into the earth as you let the top hand go keep opening that crown and just allowing yourself to receive from above just a little bit more energy and light whatever it is you need to fill your body infuse your body or into your body relief space and detention downward and then find yourself once again settled in that deepest part of your nervous system we call it the enteric nervous system deep into the belly where we really know something in our gut let yourself rest here as we sit in silence you can hold that concept of hope inside like clear in knowing that no matter what happens no matter how hard life can be this intention of hope lives always inside you can use the help of mantra if you'd like which is just the static recognition the creativity that lives always that it's ignited always inside of you we call it the goddess energy or Shakti power part of you that breathes you that knows you truly beautifully Lau that's knowing they'll find what you know You can stay sitting as long as you want.
As long as you'd like.
You're ready to begin to deepen your breath.
You might even stretch your arms to the sky and reach and grow.
Draw your hands together into your heart and as you bow inward remembering your practice is always dedicated to the benefit of all beings.
Namaste.
Namaste.
Namaste.
