Sama Vritti

Sama Vritti Pranayama, or Equal Breathing, is designed to calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and balance the mind by making the inhalation and exhalation of equal duration. Sama vritti involves controlling the natural breathing process (sahaja vritti) with the invitation to rest awareness within the breath.

Transcript

Begin to find your way to a comfortable seat. Allow that seat to be easy and allow your body to be supported. As you begin to settle into your seat, Allow your gaze to soften or maybe the eyes gently find their way to close. Then begin to just notice the breath. Witness and experience the breath without altering it, Without changing it. As you continue to witness the breath, Maybe you begin to feel the body lengthen with each of your inhalations and maybe begin to feel the shoulders release, The sits bones ground with each exhalation. Feel into the duality of this groundedness and expansion with the breath. Settle into the awareness of your body breathing and begin to intentionally shape the breath. Notice if you can follow the flow of the breath in through the nostrils and follow the flow of the breath out through the nostrils. And now begin to count the breath. Breathing equally on the inhale and the exhale. Inhaling to a count of three, Four, Or five. Exhaling to a count of three, Four, Or five. Continue on your own for your own count. Inhaling and exhaling in equal measure. As you inhale, Imagine the breath like a paint stroke. Painting up the length of your inhale. As you exhale, Imagine the breath like a paint stroke. Painting down the length of your exhale. Allow the breath to become smooth. Allowing the breath to become smooth. Removing any hitches or breaks. Allowing the breath to quiet. Continuing your own count. Witnessing the paint stroke of breath moving up and down. One more minute on your own. And just slowly bring your awareness back to the space you are in. Allowing your gaze to remain soft or eyes closed. Just notice how you are feeling. Maybe allow some movement into the fingers, Into the toes. And if called, Feel free to bring the hands together. And gently rub them to make some heat or warmth. Maybe those hands come to your eyes, And you feel the transfer of that warmth or heat to your body. And then allow the fingers to gently spread, And maybe a dappling of light begins to find the eyes. Allow the hands to slowly lower back towards the lap. And begin to take in the space around you. As you come back into yourself, Into your space. Take the next several moments for free writing. Our practice is now complete.