Welcome to this extended meditation practice in discovering your breath print.
In this practice the objective is to become aware of the inherent rhythm of your own breathing and to identify what we can call the breath print.
In the way that we each have unique thumbprints and fingerprints,
We each have a unique and specific respiratory rhythm.
Before altering the breath in pranayama training or breath work,
It is valuable to come to know your own breathing pattern,
Your own breath print.
So come to lie on your back for this practice.
Use any support that you may need under your knees,
Hamstrings or beneath your head and take a moment to get yourself comfortable.
Connect to a steady flow of breath and then out of your nose.
Make sure your legs are extended with the feet slightly away from the hips so that the lower back has space and feels comfortable lying on the ground.
Rest your arms slightly away from your body with your palms turned upward.
Rest your shoulders and your jaw.
Soften the face and your eyes and allowing a subtle flow of breath in and out of the nose.
And beginning this pranayama practice,
Once more softening your face,
Softening your eyes,
Relax the skin on your face and once more release your jaw.
Let your hearing draw inward,
Bringing your awareness to the inner ears so that you can listen to the rhythm of your breath.
Avoid manipulating or trying to engineer the breath in any way.
Just allow it to be natural as it is in this initial stage of your practice.
Release the weight of your spine and allow the weight of your arms and legs to sink into the support beneath you.
Let go of any holding in your limbs and extremities.
Observe your breath,
Observing its amplitude,
Its depth and its current rhythm.
Notice your breath just as it is.
This is your breath print and the following observations will help you gain sensitivity in your lungs.
Observing how your breath brushes the back of your throat and filters down into your lungs.
Observing the rise and fall of your belly as your breath moves in and out of the abdomen.
And where does your breath make contact with your ribs,
With your diaphragm?
How does the breath flow into the back of your ribs,
Side ribs and the front of your ribs?
Just observing.
You may even place your palms on top of your lower ribs and breathe into your palms,
Giving you a better sense of the breath,
Feeling sense of the breath.
Noticing the way your breath moves into your left hand and left lung.
Noticing the movement of your ribs under your right hand and into your right lung.
And noticing if there's a difference in the motion and responsiveness of your right lung relative to your left lung.
This observation could help you determine which lung is more dominant.
It could help you further examine and explore your breathing pattern without changing or altering anything.
Just observing the natural flow of your breath.
Noticing your breath just as it is.
Cultivating sensitivity in your lungs,
In your awareness of the breath.
Continuing to observe how your breath brushes the back of your throat and filters down into the lungs.
Observing the rise and fall of your belly as your breath moves in and out of your abdomen.
Observing where your breath makes contact with your ribs.
With the ribcage as a whole.
Maybe still having your palms placed on top of your lower ribs.
Breathing through your palms.
Noticing any differences between left and right lung.
Noticing any potential differences in the motion and responsiveness of your right and left side.
Noticing a sense of calm arising in your body and your mind.
Noticing how when you connect to your breath,
How you can deeply connect and tune into the rhythm at your core.
And allowing this rhythm to take its own form.
To take its own unique,
Specific blueprint.
Without changing or altering anything in your breath.
Just observing its natural blueprint.
And allowing the information that you receive on your breath to integrate.
Taking another soft,
Natural breath in and out of the nose.
Let it fill your lungs,
Your entire body.
Slowly breathing out.
And then taking a conscious moment to allow this practice to close.
You can roll over to the side,
Bending your knees into your chest.
And then slowly coming up to sit.
And when you're ready,
Moving out into the rest of your hours of your day.
With awareness on your breath.
On your unique breath blueprint.
Thank you for your practice.
Namaste.
