Jeetalikarana,
Otherwise known as the 75 breaths exercise.
This is a method of balancing prana in the body,
A deliberate and intentional practice of rest and relaxation.
And it helps restore the energy levels of the body,
Breath,
Mind and emotion,
Thus adding prana to the body.
So let's get started.
This practice is best done lying on your back on a hard,
Comfortable surface.
Maybe it's on carpet,
Maybe it's on your yoga mat with a small cushion underneath your head.
Place your arms at a comfortable distance to your sides and have your feet a comfortable distance apart.
Before we begin,
Let's just go ahead and connect into your body.
Maybe doing a quick body scan starting at your feet and working your way to the top of the head and just observing how the body feels,
Giving yourself space to relax into this practice and taking your time.
And as we do this practice,
Your eyes might stay softened.
You might have an eye pillow over the eyes.
We're going to start with 10 breaths.
You're going to take these 10 breaths from the soles of your feet,
Bringing them all the way up to the crown of the head and then from the crown of the head back to the soles of the feet.
So inhaling that breath from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head,
Exhaling top of the head back to the soles of the feet.
Doing that nine more times.
And if you're someone who doesn't like to count,
Just bring awareness to the breath.
And I'll let us know when it's time to switch to the next visualization.
As you continue the breath,
Seeing where else you can soften in the body.
Can you release the shoulders a little bit more,
Melting them to the floor?
Can you soften through the face,
Relaxing through the low back,
Breathing in that line of energy from the soles of the feet to the crown of the head and back from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet?
Taking that once more and starting to bring your awareness towards the ankles.
On your next inhale from the ankles,
Bringing awareness to the crown of the head and from the crown of the head back to the ankles on your exhale.
Taking this nine more times,
Starting with the ankles,
Moving your way to the crown of the head and from the crown of the head back to the ankles.
As you continue this,
Depending on the breath length,
It might take a little longer or a little faster.
So settling into your Samavriti breath,
Your even inhale count to exhale count.
Maybe that looks like inhaling through the nose for a count of four and exhaling through the nose for a count of four.
Beginning to soften through the hands,
Through the feet.
Taking one more breath from those ankles to the crown,
From the crown back to the ankles.
Starting next,
Bringing your awareness to the knees.
Inhaling from the knees to the crown of the head,
From the crown of the head back to the knees.
Taking this four more times,
Inhale knees to the crown of the head and back from the crown of the head to the knees.
Starting with your Samavriti breath.
Taking it once more,
Bringing your awareness to the base of the spine.
On the inhale,
Coming from the base of the spine to the crown of the head with the breath.
Exhale from the crown of the head back to the base of the spine.
Taking four more breaths just like this.
Continuing your steady pace.
Taking one last time and then bringing awareness to your navel.
Taking five breaths from the navel to the crown of the head,
Crown of the head back to the navel.
Inhaling navel to the crown of the head,
Back down to the navel.
Even though the distance is getting shorter,
Still maintaining that breath.
Maybe slowing your visualization down.
Taking it one last time and then bringing awareness to your heart center from your heart breathing up to the crown of the head,
Back to that heart space.
Four more times from heart center up to the crown of the head,
Back to heart center.
Taking one more breath like this,
Bring your awareness now to the throat center.
Inhaling from the throat to the crown of the head,
Exhaling back to the throat.
Inhale throat,
Crown of the head,
Back to the throat.
Three more breaths like that.
Finally bringing awareness to the third eye,
The space between the eyebrows.
Inhaling up to the crown of the head,
Exhale back to the third eye.
Inhale third eye to the crown of the head,
Exhale back.
Three more times with your breath.
And finally we're going to bring our awareness to our nostrils.
You're going to be taking 25 breaths in through the nose and out through the crown of the head and beyond.
In through the nose and out through the crown of the head.
Taking that 23 more times.
Breathing into your steady rhythm.
Continuing to soften through the body.
Taking your last few breaths like this.
Then we're going to come into our 25 breaths through the nose,
But this time we're going to be focusing on inhaling our energy down,
Exhaling up.
So inhaling in,
Bringing our energy down,
Exhale bringing it up.
Taking that pattern,
Inhale bringing the energy down,
Exhale up.
Now just rest here,
Releasing any of that breath.
And imagine that the breath is ascending through the body from the base point of the spine to the crown of the head.
And on an inhale,
Descending from the crown of the head to the base point on your exhale.
Observing the complete rise of the inhale and fall of your exhale.
No need to pull the breath in or push it out.
Just ride the current natural wave of your breath.
And as you're moving through this practice,
Your breath will become a little more shallow and more relaxed.
And as the breath becomes a little quieter,
The mind will also start to get a little quieter.
Resting here in this practice.
If you want,
You can stay resting right where you are,
Or if you feel complete,
You might bring your hands together,
Bringing some heat back into the body.
Maybe placing them over the eyes and gently blinking the eyes open,
Letting light come back in.
Rolling to a side to take a few breaths to re-center and reconnect.
And then sitting up when you're ready,
Sealing off your practice.
