Sometimes,
The most simple practices can have the most profound effects.
Today,
We're going to be working with a simple Ujjayi breath.
If you've taken a yoga class before,
I'm sure you've heard the teacher invite you to connect with this breath during class,
But it doesn't have to stop there.
This breath has profound therapeutic benefits and can really be engaged with at any time during the day,
And that's why I love it.
Ujjayi breath is considered a vata balancing practice,
And so if you're feeling any symptoms of anxiety,
Overwhelm,
Or just in that mode where you have to shift from go,
Go,
Go,
To more stillness,
Or any time where you notice the thoughts kind of nonstop in your mind and you want to come back to center,
This is a breath that will help you find that center,
Find that balance,
Find that point of stillness and clarity within.
To connect with this breath,
It's a slight constriction of the throat.
You can also,
I'm sure you might have heard it be called an oceanic breath or a dark vader breath.
How you can connect to it,
I love the example of if you were to breathe into the mirror like you're trying to fog it up,
So on the exhale,
Imagining as if you're trying to fog up that mirror in front of you,
And noticing the slight constriction of the throat that comes with that,
And that same constriction with each inhale and exhale you try to find.
And I want to just note that sometimes it's easier to find with the exhale breath,
That louder oceanic sound,
But continuing to try to find that on the inhale and the exhale.
So let's begin.
You can be seated,
You can be standing,
You can be laying down,
However you are in this moment.
And then just take one free round of breath,
Take a deep inhale through the nose,
And a sigh out of the mouth.
Then on your next inhale,
You're going to try to find that engagement of the throat,
Breathing in through the nose,
And same,
Same on the exhale,
Breathing out of the nose,
Notice that engagement of the throat.
And continue just like that,
Inhale,
And exhale.
And the pace is yours,
Really just focusing on generating that slight subtle sound.
And at any time the mind begins to wander,
That's what it does,
Draw back to the sound,
Allow this sound generated to act as an anchor to draw your awareness back to this moment.
Few more rounds,
Continuously drawing your awareness back to the sound,
Back to the Ujjayi breath.
Good.
And you can let that breath practice go for now,
Or if you feel connected to it,
I also invite you to continue to find it for a few more minutes.
But if you chose to take a pause for now,
Just take a moment to check in,
Just notice how you feel,
To notice the effects of just three and a half minutes,
Right?
A simple breathwork practice for just three and a half minutes,
Any impact that you notice.
And when you're ready,
You can tuck the chin to the chest,
Just to flutter the eyes back open,
You can blink a few times,
Return back to the light of the room you're in,
Or maybe you're walking around and the eyes are already open,
But I hope this was helpful and I'll see you soon.
