Welcome to Green Lotus Studios.
This recording we're going to explore the practice of Pranamudra.
To begin,
Traditionally we sit in a seated position,
Cross-legged if possible,
But you can sit in any comfortable seated position.
You can also sit in a chair and you can practice this in standing if you prefer.
As the name suggests,
This is a mudra.
A mudra in Sanskrit means gesture,
So there will be a physical component to the practice.
We will be moving the hands and arms.
If this isn't something that's available to you right now,
You can visualise the practice.
Visualising the practice is always available.
It can be a really strong practice.
It can help you have a one-pointedness of focus and it can even deepen your awareness into the connection of prana and the connection of breath.
So anybody is welcome to come into a visualisation of the practice at any point.
So we'll begin in seated and you rest your hands in the lap,
Right hand,
Left hand on top.
We want a tall spine,
So we lift the head up,
Chin parallel to the floor.
You can close down the eyes as soon as you're comfortable or you can lower the gaze.
I will describe the physical component.
You can simply listen first so that you understand the movement before practising.
We'll move the hands on the inhalation,
Palms facing towards the abdomen,
Left hand to the left side,
Right hand to the right side.
As you inhale,
You'll draw the hands up through the torso,
Not touching but flowing up the torso towards the throat,
The face.
Once you reach around the eyes,
The eyebrow centre,
This is when you'll exhale and you'll send the hands up,
Out to the sides,
Over the head,
Reaching up so you're making a gentle Y shape with the hands.
Keeping the hands open and the palms facing up to the sky,
You'll take an inhale and have a sense that the breath is being drawn through the palms of the hands down into the base of the body.
As you exhale,
You'll begin the movement once more,
Travelling back the way you came,
So closing down the hands back towards the face,
Travelling down the face,
The throat,
The chest and the abdomen on one clean exhalation,
Coming to rest at the start with the left hand resting into the right palm.
You can take a rest breath here before moving into another round or you can repeat the practice in one clean movement.
So we'll practice the first one together,
Noticing the breath as you inhale and exhale.
Following the next inhalation,
Placing the hands to the sides of the body,
Drawing the hands up the abdomen and chest on the inhale.
Once you reach the throat,
You'll reach the face and when you come towards the brow centre,
The eyes,
This is where you'll exhale and you'll open the hands out to the sides,
Coming into that Y shape with the hands as you exhale.
On your inhale,
You'll stay in this position,
Drawing the breath down through the palms into the base of the body.
Returning the hands on the exhale,
Drawing the hands towards the face,
Throat,
Torso,
Abdomen,
Coming to rest the hands in the lap,
Having a rest breath,
Inhale and exhale.
And when you're ready,
You'll continue this practice,
Breathing in,
Traveling the hands across the torso,
Chest,
Throat,
Face.
Exhaling from the eyebrow centre,
Taking the hands out to a Y shape on the exhale.
Holding this position as you inhale,
Drawing the breath down into the palms,
Down to the base of the body.
On the exhale,
Retracing the steps,
Drawing the hands back to the face,
To the throat,
The chest,
The abdomen and choosing whether to have a rest breath or moving straight into another flow.
Moving the hands with the breath,
Lifting up on the inhale,
Lifting and opening out on the exhale,
Pausing on the inhale,
Drawing the breath down into the base of the body and retracing the hands on the exhale back down to rest in the lap or moving into your next flow.
As I said at the start,
If you wish to explore the practice as a visualisation,
You'll breathe in the exact same way but you will visualise the movement of the hands instead of physically doing the practice.
A sense of the hands drawing up through the abdomen,
Chest,
Throat,
Face.
On the inhale,
Exhaling and sending the hands out to the sides in that Y shape.
Holding that shape as you inhale and exhaling as you retrace the flow of the hands down to the face,
Throat,
Chest,
Abdomen and choosing whether to rest or go straight back into another flow.
Making this your last movement as the recording will be ending soon.
If you wish to continue,
You're welcome to do so and completing when you feel ready.
Those who feel ready to end practice with the end of the recording.
Once you've completed your final breath and your hands are resting back into the lap,
You can take an inhale and exhale.
Blink open the eyes when you're ready.
I'm completing the practice here.
