Welcome back to inside timer Let us explore ourselves on the topic of the month,
Freedom.
Hello.
I am Ravishankar Balla,
Yogacharya from Hyderabad,
India.
Please find a comfortable steady posture.
Sit tall but let your shoulders drop away from your ears.
Close your eyes softly and gently,
If that feels safe for you.
Take a deep breath.
Slow breathe in and let a long,
Smooth breathe out.
Today we look closely at the truth we often run away from true freedom.
And it is not the absence of change.
True freedom means letting go of the need to control the future.
Think about how much energy you spent trying to predict,
Fix or arrange tomorrow.
We treat uncertainty like an enemy to be tolerated,
A straw to baste against.
But what if we shifted our relationship to the unknown?
What if we have moved from merely tolerating uncertainty to peacefully accepting it?
Let's use our practice to anchor ourselves right here.
Bring your full awareness to the physical body.
Your body.
Even if you are sitting or lying down,
Imagine the structural alignment of the strong yogasanas.
Feel the firm foundation of your sit bones rooting down into the earth.
Visualize your spine growing tall like the trunk of a tree.
Yoga Sanas anchors you firmly in the present moment.
When we practice physical postures,
We focus deeply on alignment,
Muscle engagement,
And physical balance.
In doing so,
We train the mind to draw future-focused worries.
Right now,
Feel the solid,
Unchanging Earth beneath you.
You do not need to lean forward into the next hour or the next day.
Everything you need is right here,
In this specific point of space and time.
Let your muscles soften their grip.
Let your jaw relax.
You are held.
You are steady.
Now,
Let us shift from the physical body to the breath.
Entering the space of pranayama.
Pranayama directly regulates your nervous system.
It acts as a direct bridge to soothe an overactive brain,
Slowing down racing thoughts and creating an inner sanctuary of stillness.
Let us breathe together using a simple extended exhalation pattern to trigger immediate safety in the body.
Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four.
3,
To 1.
Now exhale long and smooth through your nose.
Punched lips.
6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Let's do that again.
Inhale deeply,
Filling your lower belly.
1,
2,
3.
4 and exhale completely letting go of the tomorrow letting go of the situation for 6 5 4 3 2 1 Continue in the slow,
Steady rhythm of your own.
With every long exhalation,
Feel your heart rate slowing down.
Watch your racing thoughts begin to dissolve.
You're actively building an inner sanctuary where the outside world cannot disturb you.
To seal this stillness,
We use sound vibrations to quietly reminding mental chatter.
Chanting works by overriding the internal monologue and anxiety loops of the mind,
Replacing them with a singular healing resonance.
We will chant the sacred sound OM just once together.
The Pranava Mantra.
If you prefer to listen,
Simply let the physical vibration wash your skin and settle deep into your heart.
Take a deep breath in to prepare.
Breathe in.
Feel the echo of that sound in your body.
Notice how the vibration creates space between your thoughts.
In that space,
There is no fear of unknown.
There is only presence.
As we bring this meditation to a close,
Create a physical anchor for yourself to make this practice self-sustaining throughout your daily life.
Gently press your thumb and middle finger together on your right hand.
Whenever you feel future overwhelming you are today Make this simple hand gesture.
Take one long exhalation and remind yourself.
I don't need to control the future to be free.
Gently begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Draw your awareness back to the room around you.
And when you are ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
Go forward in the freedom of peaceful acceptance.
Namaste.
