A Breath Practice - Anytime And Anywhere

This is a breath practice to bring awareness into the body and quiet the mind. Diaphramatic breathing is one of the simplest breath awareness tools taught in Yoga but that doesn't mean it will be easy. You will get distracted but try to remember this is all part of the practice. Use it in a moment when you feel anxious, hurried, tense or under pressure or perhaps when you want to take a moment to pause and reflect on a Sankalpa ( heartfelt intention). Return to it as often as you can or need to.

Transcript

Today we're working with a simple breath practice,

Diaphragmatic breathing.

Find a comfortable seat or lie down if you're more comfortable.

Let your spine be easy and not held.

Place one hand on the chest and one hand on the belly.

For now,

Just notice what it feels like to breathe.

There's no need to change anything.

On your next inhale,

Invite the breath a little deeper into the body.

Let the belly be soft and expand into your hand as you breathe in.

As you exhale,

Feel the belly gently draw back towards the spine.

There's no force here,

Just a natural movement.

Allow the chest and shoulders to stay relatively quiet.

The breath moves low and wide like a soft wave.

Take a few slow breaths just like this.

In yoga,

The breath supports the flow of prana,

Helping the nervous system settle and the mind soften.

As you continue,

Bring to mind your intention,

Your sankalpa,

And let the breath carry it quietly through the body.

Stay with this for a few more breaths.

And when you're ready,

You can release the hands and return gently to your day.

This is a breath practice that you can return to any time on or off the mat.

I'll meet you here again tomorrow.