It's so easy in this world to forget who we truly are.
To forget the heart of who we are.
We get hooked in,
Identified with,
Conditioned,
Habitual narratives about who we should be,
How things should be.
Stories about reality that aren't reflections of truth.
This practice supports us in clearing those mental patterns,
Physical constrictions,
Energetic blocks.
It's simple and also powerful.
I've taught this to countless teens and adults,
And in our Peace in Schools program the teens named this practice the dental floss breath.
You'll soon see why.
Visualize that the breath is out in front of the body.
As you inhale,
Draw the breath in through the entire front side of the body and come into the center of your being.
And as you exhale,
Release breath out the entire back side of the body.
As you inhale,
Draw the breath in from the back side of the body.
Come into the center.
As you exhale,
Release breath out the entire front side of the body.
Then visualize that breath is on the left side of the body.
Inhale,
Draw breath in through the entire left side of the body.
Come into the center of your being and then exhale,
Release breath out the entire right side of the body.
Inhale,
Draw the breath in from the right.
Come into the center and then exhale,
Release breath out the left side of the body.
Visualize that breath is above the crown of the head now.
As you inhale,
Draw the breath in through the crown of the head.
Come into the center of your body and then as you exhale,
Release breath out and down into the earth.
Inhale,
Draw breath in from the earth.
Come into the center.
Exhale,
Release breath up and out the top of the head.
That's the entire pattern.
I'll walk us through it again.
And soon I'll leave you to do this at the pace of your own breath.
But first,
Just so this pattern is established in your system,
Let's walk through it together again.
Breath is out in front of the body.
Inhale,
Draw breath in through the front.
Come into the center.
Exhale,
Breath out the back.
Inhale,
Draw breath in from the back.
Come into the center.
Exhale,
Release breath out the front.
Visualize the breath is to the left side of the body.
Inhale,
Draw breath in from the left side.
Come into the center.
Exhale,
Release the breath out the right side.
Inhale,
Pulling breath in from the right side of the body.
Come into the center.
Exhale,
Freeing the breath to be released out the entire left side of the body.
Visualize that breath is above the crown of the head.
Inhale,
Draw breath in through the crown of the head.
Come into the center.
Exhale,
Release the breath out and down into the earth.
Inhale,
Draw breath in from the earth.
Come into the center.
Exhale,
Release breath up and out the top of the head.
I'll walk us through this one last time,
And then leave you again to practice this at the pace of your own breath.
Just notice if there's any direction that feels difficult to work with or visualize.
Perhaps the attention always goes up into thought or the activity of the conditioned mind,
Images,
Emotions,
Storylines.
When you get to one aspect of the practice.
Not bad,
Not wrong,
Of course,
But there may be information there.
For example,
If I'm having trouble feeling grounded,
The attention might leave the practice every time I'm sending the breath down into the earth.
Or if I'm struggling to feel connected to what's beyond this body-mind,
What's beyond a limited sense of I.
I might have trouble staying with it as the breath moves up and out the top of the head.
So without judgment,
Simply notice.
Visualize the breath is in front of the body,
And as you inhale,
Draw breath in from the front of the body and come into the center.
Exhale,
Release breath out the back.
Draw the breath in from the entire backside of the body.
Come into the center,
Release breath out the entire front.
Visualize breath over to the left side of the body.
Inhale,
Draw the breath in through the entire left side.
Come into the center,
Release out the right.
Inhale,
Draw the breath in from the right side of the body.
Come into the center.
Exhale,
Release breath out the left.
Visualize the breath is above the crown of the head now.
Inhale,
Draw breath in through the crown of the head.
Come into the center.
Exhale,
Out and down into the earth.
Inhale,
Draw breath in from the earth.
Come into the center.
Exhale,
Breath up and out the top of the head.
Repeating this,
The pace of your own breath.
Taking your time with it.
Allowing the breath to be like waves,
Washing through the entire body,
Mind,
And energetic system.
Again,
Taking note if there's any place that you feel you consistently get stuck.
Without making a big story about it,
Simply notice.
Be open to insight.
Insight arises in the mind of spaciousness.
Be open to what arises.
This practice is most effective if you do it regularly.
Allowing the mind and body and energetic system to become familiar with this pattern of clearing.
What are we clearing?
We're clearing what tends to veil a direct experience of who we authentically are.
The stories,
The constrictions,
The conditioned activity that the attention sometimes hooks into.
Clouding our direct experience of being.
I'll leave you now to practice this for as long as you wish.
Some find it helpful to practice this breath pattern and then,
When you're ready,
To let the practice go and simply rest in I am.
To rest in presence.
So often we take the breath for granted.
As you do this practice,
I invite you to enjoy the breath and simply being.
