Welcome.
My name is Julia.
For this practice,
We'll be using our breath to shift mood and energy during these shorter,
Darker days of the year.
Winter weather can leave us feeling more sluggish or disconnected.
Using the breath is a really simple way to lift your spirits,
Increase energy,
And breathe warmth into your life.
This is a gentle practice,
But if anything feels too activating or too uncomfortable,
Please just follow along using your normal pattern of breathing.
Taking the next few moments to settle into a comfortable seated position,
Whether on a chair,
A cushion,
Or the ground.
Beginning to feel the connection between your body and the surface beneath you,
Using this as a physical point of grounding.
Gently close or soften your eyes,
Allowing them to find rest.
As you settle in,
We'll take three breaths together.
Inhaling through the nose,
Letting this breath fill your lungs,
Exhaling with a sigh,
Releasing any tension from your shoulders.
Inhaling through the nose,
Letting this breath fill your lungs,
Exhaling with a sigh,
Releasing any tension from your shoulders.
Inhaling through the nose,
Letting this breath fill your lungs,
Exhaling with a sigh,
Releasing any tension from your shoulders.
Inhaling through the nose,
The chest,
And the jaw,
Returning to your normal pattern of breath,
Taking a moment to check in with your body,
And just noticing how it feels today.
If you're feeling a little bit more lethargic or stagnant,
If you're feeling vibrant and energized,
Or anywhere on that spectrum in between,
Just observing this,
Taking note of it.
Beginning to imagine yourself standing in your favorite warm destination.
This could be a vacation spot,
A tropical destination,
Or just a version of you in the summertime.
Bringing to mind as many details as possible.
The surface beneath you and how it feels,
The smell of the breeze,
The feeling of sunshine warming your skin.
As you breathe in here,
Feeling that sunlight's warmth entering your body,
Starting from the crown of your head and slowly moving down.
It's warm glow softens the tension in your face,
Releases your jaw,
Relaxes your shoulders.
.
.
And fills your entire body with warmth and light.
You feel this glowing energy of sunlight reaching to every corner of your being.
Dissolving the darkness,
The stagnant energy,
That slow lethargic energy of winter,
And replacing it instead with this beautiful radiant light.
With each inhale,
You draw this energy in,
Into all of the corners of your body that need it.
Bathing every cell in light,
In vitality.
And with each exhale,
You release all of that heaviness.
Feelings of stress,
Of worry,
Of sadness.
If there were any emotions or feelings that came up in your initial body scan,
Using this breath to hold on to the positive and to release the negative.
Noticing if there are any specific areas of your body that could use some extra light.
Taking this time to breathe into those spaces.
Now we'll start our breath work practice.
For that next inhale,
Connecting it with the sun's energy.
Breathing in for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Holding 1,
2,
3,
4.
Releasing 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
We'll repeat that a few times.
You can maintain this count in your head or listen along.
Breathing in 2,
3,
4.
Holding 2,
3,
4.
Releasing 2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Inhale 2,
3,
4.
Hold 2,
3,
4.
Exhale 2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Inhale 2,
3,
4.
Hold 2,
3,
4.
Exhale 2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Staying with this count in your head.
Inhaling for 4,
Holding for 4,
Exhaling for 6.
As you breathe in,
I welcome light and energy.
Holding,
I let the light grow stronger within me.
As you exhale,
Breathing out,
I release what no longer serves me.
Breathing in light and energy.
Holding,
Letting that light grow stronger within you.
With that exhale,
Breathing out through your mouth,
Imagining any darkness or heaviness flowing out of you like clouds disappearing in the sky.
Continuing to breathe in this pattern,
Welcoming in all of that positivity,
That vibrancy,
That beautiful sunshine,
Light energy.
Holding it close,
Allowing it to grow stronger,
And releasing any of that darkness,
That stagnant energy that you wish to get rid of.
Continuing here for as long as you'd like.
I'll leave you in silence for a minute to solidify this energy.
Once you finish this round,
Returning to your normal pattern of breathing,
Capturing that last inhale of sunshine and holding it close to call upon whenever you need it.
Basking in this glowing warmth,
This beautiful positivity that you created.
Taking a moment to scan the body,
Simply noticing how you feel.
Noting any shifts in mood or in energy.
And just observing here.
When you're ready,
Gently blinking the eyes open,
Giving yourself a little shift from side to side or a stretch.
Thanking yourself for taking this time to work with your mood and your energy,
Knowing that you can call upon this practice whenever you need it.
Thank you so much for joining me today and for creating this little bit of sunshine for yourself.
