Welcome.
This practice is for those days when everything has felt like a bit too much.
Too much input.
Too much thinking.
Too much holding everything together.
So there's nothing you need to fix right now.
No special state to achieve.
This is just an opportunity to slow things down a little and give the nervous system somewhere softer to land.
So take a moment now to settle into a comfortable position.
You might choose to sit,
Lie down or rest against something supportive.
And before we start to change the breath in any way,
I'd like you to take some time to simply notice how you are.
Notice the pace of the mind.
The feeling in the body.
The general tone of your energy right now,
Without judgment.
When you feel ready,
Begin to let the exhalation become just slightly longer than the inhalation.
Nothing forced.
Maybe choosing to breathe in gently through the nose for a count of four and breathing out for a count of six.
Or you can choose to use any length that feels comfortable today.
Breathing slowly.
Breathing quietly.
As the exhale lengthens,
Allow the shoulders to soften a little.
The jaw unclenches.
The muscles around the eyes ease.
If you feel that thoughts are still moving quickly,
That's all right.
We're not trying to stop the mind.
Only giving the body a different message.
A quieter one.
Again,
An easy inhale when you're ready and a slower,
Softer exhale.
As though the bhrakti is gradually realising it no longer needs to stay quite so braced.
You might begin to feel the weight of the body being supported underneath you.
There's nothing for you to hold up.
Nothing to perform.
Nothing to solve for these few minutes.
If it feels comfortable,
You can gently extend the exhale a little more.
Perhaps breathing in for four and breathing out for seven or eight.
But only if it remains easy.
The breath should feel reassuring,
Not effortful.
With each exhale,
Imagine creating a little more space around the mind.
A little less pressure.
A little less urgency.
And if the day has been difficult or emotionally heavy,
You don't need to push that away either.
For now,
Simply let yourself be supported by the rhythm of the breathing.
Slow inhale.
Longer exhale.
We'll just take a few more rounds like this.
Breathing in gently and breathing out slowly,
Completely,
Comfortably.
Then gradually allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm.
No need to control anything now.
Simply noticing whether the body feels even slightly different from when you began.
Perhaps steadier,
Quieter,
Heavier,
Or simply a little less overwhelmed.
Thank you for practicing with me and take your time returning to the rest of your evening gently.
