Lying down on a comfortable surface,
That could be your bed,
A yoga mat or a rug on the floor.
Making sure your head and neck are comfortable,
So preferably using a light,
Thin pillow.
Making sure your forehead is the same height or a little bit higher than your chin.
Relaxing through the shoulders and the arms,
Bringing the legs to a comfortable position.
You could lie down with the legs up on a chair or a cushion,
Or the feet flat and the knees up to optimize the position of the lower back,
Or if everything feels great in your back,
Just lie down in Savasana with the legs out long,
Feet splayed out to the sides,
Leg that's in the shape of a V,
Whatever,
We're looking for just the most comfortable position to be in while lying on your back.
If none of these seem to work for you,
It's always okay to lie down on your side with the knees in towards your abdomen and fetal position.
Once we've gotten comfortable and relaxed,
We're going to drop all the awareness into the lower abdominal area.
As we inhale,
Just feel the belly rising.
As you exhale,
Feel the belly falling,
Just rising and falling with the breath.
Inhale,
Just feeling the belly rise.
And exhale,
The body falls,
The belly just relax and sinks.
Let's do that for another minute or so.
We're going to add a little bit more to this practice.
So,
Take a breath and once again,
Just be with the rising of the belly on the inhale.
Falling of the belly on the exhale.
And on the next inhale,
Be with the feeling of the whole body breathing,
As if all the pores have opened up and you're taking air in,
Not just through the nostrils and the respiration system,
But as if all the pores have opened up.
We're breathing in through the body,
Oxygenating into the blood and the cells.
And then as you exhale,
Feeling the body on your surface.
Just feeling the contact of the body as it melts and relaxes into your bed or yoga mat.
And we do this as a two-breath practice now.
First breath,
Inhale,
Belly rises.
Exhale,
Belly falls.
Inhale,
I experience the body breathing.
Exhale,
The body sinks and melts and I feel my body lying here,
Sinking into the surface.
And just continue this two-breath practice,
Rising,
Falling.
Breathing in through the whole body,
The pores have opened,
Breathing into the cells.
And as you exhale,
Body sinks,
Relax,
Feeling the body on the surface.
And you can continue with this practice as long as you like.
Rising with the first breath,
Falling with the first exhale,
Experiencing the whole body breathing on the next inhale.
And then feeling the body lying on your surface,
Sinking,
Melting,
Relaxing.
Every second exhale,
The body drops a little bit deeper into relaxation.
And continue with this practice as long as you like,
Whether this takes you into a short nap period or into your sleep for the night,
Or it's just a nice little break for your day,
Just drop a little bit deeper into a relaxed state.
