My name is Brianna and welcome to this breath and visualization practice.
We'll be practicing Samavritti or even breath with a retention so you might know that as
box breath and we'll practice this as we visualize the incoming and outgoing tide.
Begin by bringing yourself to a comfortable seated position.
Even out both sit bones by grounding them firmly into the floor.
From this stable base,
Feel your spine lengthen,
Stacking one vertebra on top of the other.
Open the shoulders to create space between the ears and the neck.
Melt the chest open,
Tuck the chin slightly and then grow the crown tool.
Begin by visualizing the incoming and outgoing tide.
Imagine you're sitting at the water's edge and you notice how the water rushes up the
sand as the tide comes in.
And then how this water sucks back out,
Merging with the rest of the ocean.
The tide comes in,
It lingers at the top.
Then draws back out,
Reconnecting with the body of the ocean.
Watch the tide come in and draw out,
Over and over again.
The tide inevitably comes in and always goes out.
Now bring your awareness to your breath.
Without changing or controlling the breath,
Notice its natural flow.
The breath is spontaneous and effortless.
Each in-breath always followed by an out-breath.
The breath comes in and the breath moves out.
See if you can deepen your breath now by drawing the air right down to your belly,
Expanding the ribs and the chest,
Before slowly squeezing the air out of the belly and emptying
the chest and the lungs.
Each in-breath deepens and each out-breath becomes a little more complete.
Deep breath in,
Slow breath out.
Now see if you can merge your breath with the visualisation of the tide.
As you pull the breath in,
The tide rolls up the beach and as you let the breath out,
You notice the outgoing tide.
Breathe in,
Draw the tide up.
Breathe out,
Let the tide go.
Breath draws the tide in.
Breath pushes the tide out.
Continue with this deep breath,
Visualising the tide coming in and out.
For a couple more breaths.
Then notice how the tide seems to suspend itself at the very highest point of the tide
and the very lowest point too.
The tide lingers for a moment,
Before drawing back in or pushing back out.
See if you can match this by gently holding your breath at the top of the inhalation and
then the bottom of the exhalation.
Suspending your breath after the breath in and suspending your breath at the end of the
breath out.
Start to feel the natural rhythm of the tide merging with your effortless breath and if
it helps you could count a count of four for the breath in,
Four as you suspend,
Four for
the breath out,
Four as you suspend.
Your breath becoming more and more even,
Your mind still visualising the tide.
Water flows in,
Hold for four.
Water flows out,
Hold for four.
Continue with this even breath,
Breath flowing in,
Lingering,
Suspending,
Water flowing out,
Merging,
Holding.
Your breath feels effortless and inevitable,
Just like the incoming and outgoing tide.
Start to settle your breath back into its natural rhythm,
Releasing the retentions,
And just allowing the breath to flow naturally in and out once more.
Release the visualisation of the tide and feel into the peace and tranquility you've
created in your body.
Become aware of your surroundings once more,
Your position in your environment.
Wriggle your fingers and your toes,
Reawakening the body to re-emerge into the external world.
When you're ready,
Gently blink your eyes open and take a few moments to slowly reorient
yourself to your environment,
Perhaps sitting still for another minute or two before carrying
on with the rest of your day.
