Pranayama - Finding Balance

In this session, we will use Resonance breathing, and Pranayama techniques to slow down the breath, and in turn, the mind. By doing so, we'll be able to move into a more even state of balance. Helping us to find clarity within our minds, and take on our day with ease.

Transcript

Hi there,

My name is Gareth and I'm going to be guiding you through this Pranayama session.

This session is designed to restore balance,

Find some clarity and just develop a little bit more of a sense of ease within the body and within the mind.

The practice that we'll be using today is Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing.

But before we even get started on our breath,

I'd like you to get comfortable.

Sitting upright in a chair or on the ground with your spine straight,

But making sure that you're comfortable.

I don't want you to be sitting in any discomfort,

So if you would like to sit on a chair that's absolutely fine.

Try to make sure that your head is not supported and then feel free to close down the eyes or even just have a soft gaze down towards the ground.

Once you've settled into your space and you're comfortable,

Start to become aware of your breath.

Become aware of the movement of the inhale and the exhale and what parts of your body are moving with each breath.

Start to get really familiar with this movement.

The expansion of the belly,

The size of the ribs as they flare out,

Maybe a little bit of an expansion of the chest,

But the rest of your body remaining soft and passive and relaxed.

When you feel comfortable,

I'd like you to start to extend the length of the inhales and the exhales,

Just slightly for now.

Some slightly longer inhales and some longer exhales.

For the duration of this pranayama practice,

We're just going to be breathing in and out through the nose.

Now a nice place to rest the tongue for these practices is just behind the top teeth or resting on the top palate of the mouth.

By doing this,

This will help initiate our nasal breathing if it's something that we're not really that used to yet.

I'm just continuing to lengthen the inhales and lengthen the exhales.

We're going to extend this length into a resonance breathing practice.

Now resonance breathing is slowing your breath down,

Taking circular inhales and exhales.

Trying to minimize the amount of time spent between the inhale and the exhale,

Trying to minimize that pause.

You're going to be slowing your breath down to between about four to seven breaths per minute.

This is quite a drastic slowing down as we normally take between 14 to 20 breaths per minute.

It's quite a big difference.

By slowing the breath down,

We're going to help slow the mind down,

Reactions down,

Our reactions to our emotions,

To stress.

Just to help find a little bit more clarity,

A little bit more ease.

It's helping to release some of that stress that's maybe built up through the day or maybe even through the week.

When you're ready,

Start to breathe in for five and out for five through the nose,

In and out nice and softly,

Nice and evenly.

I'm just minimizing the amount of time between the inhale and the exhale.

I'm just noticing how this feels through the body.

How does this feel through the mind?

How does it feel through your chest,

Your belly,

The sides of your waist?

Staying really open and curious as to the sensations that might arise through the body and any reactions that might appear through the mind as well.

But with one key thing is to always be soft,

Compassionate,

And patient with ourselves,

No matter what comes up.

I'm just continuing to breathe in and out through the nostrils for five seconds in and five seconds out.

Don't worry if you get totally distracted and you forget what number you're on.

Just take a big inhale,

A big exhale,

And then just begin again.

We don't want to add any extra resistance,

Any extra effort.

Just be very gentle and compassionate when we have to persuade our attention back to the breath and back to our counting.

We're just going to go for another few cycles of breath.

Perfect.

Now when you're ready,

Take a big full inhale,

Expand the lungs as much as you possibly can,

Then hold the breath right at the top just for a second,

Sucking a tiny bit more air,

And then hold for three,

Two,

One,

And release a big sigh.

Empty the lungs out completely.

We're going to do that one more time.

So fill up the lungs,

Nice and soft,

Nice and slow.

Then when you get right to the top,

Pause,

Taking a tiny bit more air,

Then pause again for three,

Two,

One,

And release a nice big sigh.

Just allow your breath to flow nice and naturally and rhythmically,

Just for a few cycles,

Before we move on to our single nostril breathing,

Or our Nadi Shuddhi,

Or Nadi Shodhana.

Now once you feel comfortable,

We're going to start by breathing in and out through the right nostril exclusively.

So you're welcome to use any finger of the left or the right hand and place it just on that little space between the soft and the hard cartilage of your left nostril.

Now not so much that the nose is going to skew off towards the sides,

But just gently enough so that the air is just passing in and out through the right nostril.

And when you're ready,

Just begin.

You can just breathe at any natural rhythm,

Or you can continue with your resonance breathing,

So in for five and out for five,

Or maybe a slightly lower number,

Maybe three or four.

Now I'm going to keep track of the time,

So just continue.

Try to keep that same ease that you've had through the practice before,

That same patience,

That same compassion,

That same softness through the body.

Notice if any tension starts to creep in through the body,

Maybe through the shoulders,

The jaw,

The neck,

And then just allow it to soften.

Be as relaxed as you can be.

Let the breath be as smooth and as soft and even as possible.

The next time you take an exhale,

Release your hand down and take a full inhale and a full exhale.

Take a few natural breaths,

Nice and fluid,

Nice and easy.

And when you feel ready,

We're just going to move on to the other side.

We're going to do it for the same amount of time.

So using either your right hand or your left hand,

This time we're just going to be breathing in and out through the left nostril.

So just using any finger to just gently press against that space between the soft and the hard cartilage of the right nostril,

Just enough to close it.

And then just breathing in and out evenly and softly.

Now the next time you take an exhale,

Release your hand down.

Full breath in and a full breath out.

Now I want you to notice if there's any change in the flow of air through the nostrils.

If the breath maybe feels a little bit softer,

Maybe it flows a little easier.

But just noticing and just allowing your breath to just come and go for a few moments before we move on.

Now we're going to practice the same technique but while alternating the nostrils.

So this time we would start to breathe in through the left by plugging the right.

We would exhale through the right and then inhale through the right and exhale through the left.

And that would be one full cycle.

You can do this at a ratio of five seconds in,

Five seconds out if you wish.

Or you can just breathe in nice and naturally.

But try to keep the breath even if you can.

And just as normal,

I'm going to keep the time.

So whenever you feel comfortable,

Start by plugging the right nostril,

Inhaling through the left,

Then plugging the left nostril and exhaling through the right.

Then inhaling through the right,

Then plugging the right and exhaling through the left.

And just continue on your own.

Super simple practice.

Just joining the dots,

Inhaling through one nostril and exhaling through the opposite.

Same principles as before.

Even breath,

Soft breath,

But letting it be expansive.

Letting your breath take up the space that it needs to take up.

Now the next time that you exhale through the left nostril,

I want you to release your hands down and take a full inhale,

Nice and expansive,

And a full exhale.

And to round our practice off,

We're going to do two rounds of Valoma Pranayama.

This is very straightforward.

Once again,

We'll be inhaling into the belly for two seconds and pausing for a second.

Inhaling a little bit more for two seconds,

Pausing.

Then inhaling a little bit more for two seconds,

Pausing right at the top.

Then releasing a nice sigh once again.

Or if you prefer,

Just a nice long,

Elongated exhale.

Now this is such a simple practice that I'd just like you to do it on your own.

Inhaling,

Pausing.

Inhaling a bit more,

Pausing.

Inhaling a little bit more,

Pausing.

And a long exhale.

Make sure that exhale is soft,

And relaxing.

Now you're welcome to leave your practice off here.

Of course,

You're welcome to sit in this space,

Sit in this nice culmination of peace,

Of softness,

Of depth.

And maybe spend just a couple of minutes in meditation after this is finished.

But just know that every time that you return to these practices,

That you return to your breath,

That you return to a state of presence,

And you offer yourself this feeling of compassion,

And you try and understand yourself a little bit better,

Your body,

Your breath,

Whatever it is,

Whatever reason or intention you have for being here.

Know that every time that you return to that space,

It will be much easier and more accessible in the long run.

Thank you very much for joining me in this practice today,

And I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.

Om shanti shanti shanti.

Reviews

I really loved this Breathwork practice. Your instructions were easy to follow and I enjoyed the spaces you left for me to breathe in silence. It was then easy to slip gently into my meditation practice.
I feel Calm and centred and ready to start my day - with much gratitude 🙏