My name is Jenny and this is an exercise where we explore our breath holds.
It's a variation on an exercise called CO2 tables which is often used by athletes or divers as a way to improve their breath hold or their relationship with their breath.
Working on breath holds can be really powerful for physical shift with how we breathe.
It can also improve our tolerance to stress and really get us comfortable with in a safe way meeting challenge and starting to relax into challenge.
We can really get curious and change some beautifully deep levels on the brain with this.
Breath holds are not for everybody so if you're pregnant,
If you have any high blood pressure conditions,
If you're epileptic or if you've just got anything strong going on in the body or the brain at the moment,
I would always recommend checking with a doctor before you take any exercises like this and perhaps trying something a little gentler if you're unsure.
But if you're feeling good and you're ready to explore,
A little bit of challenge and a little bit of breath hold.
Find a comfortable position.
Lying down might be optimum.
Bring your eyes to a close.
So over the course of this exercise,
We will take five breath holds.
I'm gonna time one minute for each breath hold but if you can't hold for the full minute,
Please do not worry.
This is about whatever you can do today.
In between each breath hold,
We'll have a recovery period and what I want you to do in this recovery period is really tune into what sensations are in the body and see how much you can relax into them and explore just how quickly you can return to a really gentle,
Light breath.
As we work,
Challenge is really welcome if you feel good to do so today but rather than forcing or pushing into any challenge,
My invitation is to you is how much can you relax in to challenge when it arises.
Let's get curious.
Let's get playful and bringing your eyes down to a close.
Let's begin.
I invite you to start by tuning into your breath just as it naturally falls.
Listening to your inhale and exhale and really being with that for a few moments and as you breathe,
Start breathing into the body and start to tune in to what you can feel in your body.
Are there any tingles if you listen that you can feel or any areas your attention is being drawn to?
Can you feel your heart beat if you listen or even just an awareness of the skin?
Listening to your body,
What can you feel?
And keeping this connection with breath and body.
Drop your attention one layer deeper.
How are you feeling?
No analysis needed,
No explanation needed instead.
I want you to go to a space where we can really be aware of physical,
Energetic,
Emotional sensation but rather than trying to push anything away,
We're really allowing it to move and be present.
We're allowing ourselves to relax in to whatever is here.
Safe in your body to feel sensation and let's prepare for our first hold.
If you're new to breath hold practice,
In a moment we're going to take a breath in and you're going to hold the breath at the top of the inhale.
If you're a little more experienced,
You can try holding halfway out or all the way on the exhale.
Altogether,
Take a breath in and find your first breath hold.
And as you're holding your breath,
It's really trusting that you can relax.
Trusting that you have plenty of air,
You do not need to breathe.
You can just be with whatever sensations are here.
And when challenge arises,
You can relax in to it for 5,
4,
3,
2 and if you haven't already,
Release your hold.
And allowing the body to really melt in to the ground.
Just take a little time to recover.
Present and relaxing in to any sensation.
Allowing a slow,
Gentle breath to come back.
And if any stories come in to the brain,
If any chatter comes in to the mind,
Get really curious.
See that chatter and gently come back in to the present.
Come back in to what's here now.
And we go for our second hold.
Again,
You do not worry if you can't hold the full time.
We meet the challenge and we do what we can.
If you haven't already,
Take a full breath in and hold your breath in to the initial sensations.
Trusting you have plenty of oxygen and when that air hunger,
That little bit of challenge comes in,
This is just sensation.
You are nearly there,
Holding for 4,
Think and listening.
Just breathing and recovering and seeing how soon you can come back to our third hold.
If you wish more challenge,
You hold halfway out.
If it's challenging enough,
We take a breath in together and you hold.
Challenge is okay.
It is just carbon dioxide rising.
You are safe with challenge.
9,
8,
7,
6,
5,
4,
Recover.
A gentle,
Slow breath and trust the ground has got you.
Penultimate hold in 3,
2,
1,
Breath in.
Find your hold.
Is there anything you can relax any further into?
For 3,
2,
Final hold in 3,
2,
1.
Take a breath.
One minute is over in 3,
2,
If you wish to hold longer,
You can and 1.
If you're done,
You just relax to really meet the ground and feel safe.
Just coming home.
If anyone is still holding their breath,
That is 2 minutes,
So do let it go now.
Ground to support you.
Perhaps trusting you can feel safe with whatever is here.
You can really listen and make space for a pleasure challenge in between.
And you can let your breath guide you home.
And you can just rest.
Nothing else needed.
And tuning back into your body.
Taking a breath into your body,
Maybe moving the fingers,
Toes,
Maybe a stretch.
Maybe giving yourself a little bit of gratitude for showing up to play and to practice.
And remembering that all of this is practice.
Every time we play and we see where we can go with our breath,
It's practice and it's curiosity.
There's never any pressure.
So keep coming back.
Keep playing with your breath and let's keep exploring the possibility together.
See you on the mat very soon.
