Hello my friend,
Welcome to your practice.
So this pranayama or breath practice is all about grounding,
Settling,
Calming and giving you the opportunity to let go and release or prepare for rest.
So find a comfortable seat,
Sit tall,
Have the crown of your head over the base of your spine,
Relax your face,
Relax your belly and be comfortable.
And for the next few moments just bring your attention to the flow of your breath.
Observe your body breathing and the effortless flow of your breath in and out through your nostrils.
In a moment I'll offer you a counting rhythm to apply to your breath to bring your exhales to be longer than your inhales.
So we'll be inhaling for a count of four and exhaling for a count of eight.
So your exhales will be twice as long as your inhales and your main job will be to ensure that your inhale is swift and complete so that you can take in a full breath that allows your exhale to be slow and controlled as it is released.
Okay so let's begin.
Empty the breath that you are on now,
Exhale fully and then inhale together through the nose,
A full and complete inhale for the count of four,
Three,
Two,
One and then exhale slow,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Inhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Inhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Inhale four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Inhale four and continue on like that.
So inhaling four and exhaling eight.
So you can count silently internally now,
Taking yourself a few cycles through.
And just notice how your mind is starting to drop into that rhythm.
Notice your mind quietening.
So even as you are counting,
Allow this process to be completely effortless.
So effortless breathing.
If you'd like to deepen your practice,
You can start to add in a pause after the end of the exhale.
So breathing in for the count of four,
Exhaling for the count of eight and then pausing at the bottom there.
You can do that for a count of two or four,
Whichever is most comfortable.
So in four,
Out eight,
Pause two or four and then begin the inhale again.
Notice how you're drawn into that space after exhale.
Beginning to cultivate here a sense of steadiness and ease and gentleness.
Relaxing and letting go on that exhale.
Effortless breathing.
In time,
You'll start to notice that the pause after exhale naturally begins to expand.
So it's inviting you to drop down into it.
You might even now lose the counting on the pause and just allow yourself to drop silently into that space after that exhale with complete spaciousness.
So in four,
Out eight and letting go totally.
Rounding and releasing.
Letting go into that space after the exhale.
Notice how each cycle allows that space to grow deeper and deeper,
Drawing you in deeper and deeper.
A few more rhythms just like this.
All right.
So take one more cycle as you were,
Just like that dropped completely down into the space after the exhale.
You have the option to continue your practice as long as you like or to come out of the practice with your next cycle of breath.
Reduce the counting down to an inhale of two and out four and you have the option to include a brief pause.
So into,
Out four and maybe a pause.
A few cycles like that.
And notice right there the shift as you drop the counting back.
Notice yourself here so grounded,
So calm,
So settled,
So relaxed,
Safe,
Steady and present.
One more cycle just like that and then relax the technique completely and just return to the natural rhythm of your breath and rest here in effortless awareness.
May you take the sense of calm and presence into the rest of your day or your evening.
Thank you for coming to your practice my friend.
Namaste.
