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Come into a comfortable seat.
If you're in a chair,
Uncross your legs and place your feet flat on the ground.
If you're seated on a cushion or a pillow,
Cross your legs or straighten your legs,
Whatever is the most comfortable for you,
The most easeful.
Let your seat be restful and relaxed without any sensation or discomfort.
And feel your seat,
Feel the seat that you've chosen,
Feel your connection to the earth.
And with that connection rooting down,
Begin to lift up in the belly,
In the center of the chest,
The roof of the mouth and the crown of the head.
Feeling as if you're rooting down in the seat and rising up with the crown growing long and spacious in your torso.
Send the heads of your arms back in space,
Softening the shoulders down the back and brightening the heart.
Relax the jaw and the tongue in your mouth.
Relax your cheeks and your brow.
Soften the eyes and close your eyes.
And bring your attention to your breath,
Noticing how it feels when you inhale,
Noticing how it feels when you exhale.
This is the practice of controlling our breath.
When we can control our breath,
We can control our minds.
So this practice will be using the count of four.
We will inhale to the count of four and exhale to the count of four.
We will use a mantra for that beat.
The sound we will use,
Sa ta na ma.
Sa ta na ma.
For every sa ta na ma,
You are inhaling a full,
Complete,
Long breath and exhaling a full,
Complete,
Long breath.
Measure the length of your inhale and your exhale to the length of time it takes to recite the mantra in your mind.
It might take a few rounds to get the rhythm,
But don't worry.
It'll happen.
Taking your time and being patient are important lessons as we learn to control our breathing.
So we'll begin with a big,
Big inhale through the nose and a complete exhale.
Empty the lungs of all the breath and begin to inhale.
Sa ta na ma.
Exhale.
Sa ta na ma in sa ta na ma out.
Sa ta na ma in sa ta na ma out.
Sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma su sa ta na ma sa ta na na ma sa ta na ma sa ta ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma sa ta na ma inhale nice deep breath hold the breath in for a moment exhale completely let your breath be natural not controlling it just let it find its natural rhythm just being here in silence for a few minutes noticing how you feel and bring your hands to your heart thank yourself for the time you've given yourself here and we'll dedicate this practice to all beings everywhere whether big or small near or far seen or unseen may all beings be well may all beings be happy may all beings be free from suffering take another deep breath in and a complete breath out namaste
