For this breath exploration,
Please lie down on your back.
This might be on the floor on a yoga mat or on the sofa or even lying on your bed,
Wherever your body can be as comfortable as possible.
It might feel supportive to place a small pillow underneath the back of your head and if your legs are stretched long,
Perhaps a pillow underneath the knees to support your low back.
For some of us,
It might be most comfortable to bend the knees so that the soles of your feet are resting on the surface beneath you,
Finding a position in which your body can feel steady and supported.
Now,
In this moment,
Notice that you're breathing and notice how you're breathing,
The qualities of the breath.
Maybe the breath is shaky or smooth,
Deep or shallow,
Cool or warm.
Just notice in this moment how you're breathing,
Not to judge,
To understand and support.
Now,
Place your hands on your low belly,
Resting your hands somewhere between the navel and the pubic bone.
On your next inhale,
Allow the belly to soften and slightly round.
On the exhale,
The belly sinks towards the spine.
Breathing in,
The belly softens,
Maybe slightly rounds.
Breathing out,
Simply let the belly fall.
Breathing in,
The belly softens.
Breathing out and letting go.
Now,
Place one hand on your ribs.
So you'll have one hand on your low belly and one hand on your ribs.
On your next inhale,
The belly softens and the ribs expand.
On the exhale,
Letting go.
Breathing in,
The belly softens,
The ribs expand.
Breathing out,
Letting go.
Breathing in,
Belly softens,
Ribs expand,
Left and right.
Breathing out,
Letting all of this go.
Now,
Take the hand that's resting on your ribs and place it on your chest.
One hand on your low belly and one hand on your chest.
As you inhale,
The belly softens,
Ribs expand,
And the chest broadens.
On the exhale,
Letting go.
Breathing in,
The belly softens,
Ribs expand,
Chest gently broadens.
Breathing out,
Letting go.
Breathing in,
Soft belly,
Expansive ribs,
Broadened chest.
Breathing out,
Letting all of this go.
Now,
Keep going with this three-part breath rhythm,
Moving with the pace of your breath.
And as this breath rhythm starts to become more familiar,
Begin to sense the movement of breath in the back of the body as well.
When the low belly softens,
The low back also softens.
When the ribs of the front body expand,
The ribs of the back body also expand.
And when the chest broadens,
The upper back also gently broadens.
And then with each and every exhale,
You let all of this go.
Now,
We'll explore one more dimension of breath,
Welcoming the movement of breath down into the pelvic floor.
Inhale,
The belly softens,
And the pelvic floor expands downwards.
Exhale,
The belly sinks,
And the pelvic floor lifts towards your heart.
Inhale,
The belly softens as the pelvic floor expands downwards.
Exhale,
The belly falls,
And the pelvic floor lifts just a bit.
Breathing in,
The belly softens,
And the pelvic floor descends.
Breathing out,
The belly sinks,
The pelvic floor gently lifts.
There's no need to control or manipulate this relationship between the pelvic floor and the breath.
It happens all on its own without any effort or force.
Of course,
It might feel unfamiliar.
So see if you can just stay open,
Receptive to the feeling of breath in the pelvic floor.
On the inhale,
The pelvic floor moves down.
On the exhale,
The pelvic floor moves up.
Now,
For these last few breath cycles,
We'll invite the power of imagination to help you feel the movement of breath in the pelvic floor.
Imagine a beautiful flower resting at your perineum,
The very center of the very bottom of your pelvic floor.
On the inhale,
The flower blossoms outwards.
On the exhale,
The flower closes to a bud.
Inhale,
The blossom opens.
Exhale,
The blossom closes.
Breathing in,
The blossom is opening.
Breathing out,
The blossom returns to a bud.
Now,
Release any visualization.
Release any subtle guidance of the breath.
For these last few moments,
Simply receiving the movement of breath.
