Hello my loves and welcome to another guided meditation.
My name is Chris and I'll be your guide.
In today's practice we'll go over 4-6 breathing.
4-6 breathing as the name suggests is a breathing technique in where we inhale for a count of 4 and then lengthen the exhale for a count of 6.
We can achieve this breath by breathing in through the nose and then either exhaling a little slower through the nose or our mouth.
Whichever is easier or more natural for your practice today.
One of the main methods to relax the mind and the body when it comes to breath work is to lengthen the exhale.
The exhalation is considered to be the relaxation portion of the breath.
So when we increase its duration we help trigger a parasympathetic response in the nervous system and body.
This response is what we like to call that rest and digest state.
When we are in this parasympathetic state and use slow and controlled diaphragmatic breathing aka belly breathing,
We can help trigger a decrease in blood pressure,
We can improve digestion,
We can help decrease stress and anxiety,
And we can even improve our sleep quality.
So let's get to our practice.
Let's come to a comfortable position either seated or lying down.
We'll bring our right hand to our belly and our left hand to our lower chest.
We begin to deepen the inhale and the exhale here.
Maybe on the inhale you begin to feel the gentle rise of the belly lifting that bottom hand and as you exhale allow the belly to soften bringing the hand gently down with it.
Again inhale belly and hand rises,
Exhale belly and hand falls.
We'll do two more times.
Inhale belly rises,
Exhale belly falls.
Inhale belly rises and then exhale belly falls.
We'll try to keep this same rhythmic belly breathing throughout our practice of ten rounds of 4-6 breathing.
Always remembering to relax and to simply let the breath come natural and to not be forced.
And then we'll begin our breath here by exhaling completely bringing belly down to spine and then we'll inhale for a count of one two three four.
Exhale for six five four three two one.
Again inhale for one two three four.
Exhale six five four three two one.
Inhale one two three four.
Exhale six five four three two one.
Inhale one two three four.
Exhale six five four three two one.
Inhale one two three four.
Exhale six five four three two one.
Inhale one two three four.
Exhale six five four three two one.
Inhale one two three four.
Exhale six five four three two one.
Inhale one two three four.
Exhale six five four three two one.
Inhale one two three four.
Exhale six five four three two one.
Last one.
Inhale one two three four.
Exhale six five four three two one.
Release the hands and come back to your normal breathing pattern.
Notice how the mind and the body might feel after this practice.
Let's bring our hands to prayer at our heart and and bow down to the great and wise teacher that resides in each and every one of us.
Thanking you all for sharing this practice today and giving thanks to your wonderful bodies and to the gift of breath.
Namaste.
Love you all.
