Hello and welcome relatives.
My name is Christian.
Thank you for joining me for this breathwork practice.
Today we will utilize breath of fire,
Or skull shining breath,
As our guide as we embody the energetic qualities of fire.
Before we begin,
Let's explore a bit of the philosophy and theory of the fire element.
Every year in June we welcome a pattern of motion that signals the journey toward the most kinetic time of year.
The summer solstice guides our attention toward the auspiciousness of time as the sun reaches the highest and most northern point in the sky,
Manifesting as the longest day and shortest night of the year in the northern hemisphere.
This transitional moment between day and night points to the relationship between yin and yang,
Which offers a gentle reminder that we are living relational systems,
And our interdependence matters.
In fact,
We can think of all major organs within the body as ecosystems.
Each one continues to unfold through what we call the five elements in East Asian medicine.
The five elements being earth,
Metal,
Water,
Wood,
And fire contain myriad cosmological connections,
Such as planets,
Seasons,
And yes,
Even internal organs.
In this way,
The five elements are more like phases or resonances.
Each one is really in a dynamic process,
Transforming and becoming,
Always changing.
At this moment,
We find ourselves transitioning from wood to fire.
All of our seedling energy has been building over the last few months and is ready to bud.
In this way,
We are reminded that the process of growth requires a great deal of heart and courage.
We can see this happening all around us as flowers begin to bloom and plants start to bear fruit.
This seasonal point is associated with the heart,
And classic texts on the five resonances also refer to the heart as the house of the mind.
Therefore,
The heart organ ecosystem is responsible for the circulation of not only blood,
But consciousness throughout the body.
The state of our heart is a direct reflection of the state of our awareness and shapes our ability to share,
Connect,
And respond from a place of authenticity.
Fire also plays a significant role in our communal health.
In many cultures,
Fire is the center place of the home.
It is where our ancestors gathered at the earth to share food,
Medicine,
And stories.
Fire connects us,
And we rely on the many ways that it manifests in our lives for the courage to connect,
Practice our ceremonies,
Welcome divine creativity,
And celebrate our joy,
Individually and collectively.
Before we begin breathing together I would like to offer a few suggestions in support of your practice,
Along with some aftercare recommendations.
While breath work is generally safe,
Well tolerated,
And enjoyable for most,
Some of us may need additional care in order to practice.
This applies if you are pregnant,
Have a history of cardiovascular or respiratory illness,
Or if you have certain mental health conditions.
Now this is not to discourage you.
In fact,
Studies have shown that working with the breath can be very beneficial in these circumstances.
I do recommend that you work one on one with your healthcare practitioner to learn more and practice in a safe and supported space.
So as we start,
Just make sure that you're in a safe and comfortable environment.
Grab a blanket for warmth if you need it,
And perhaps a pillow or a bolster to sit on.
Headphones or earbuds are nice to have.
And if you'd like,
I invite you to grab a journal or notebook and place it close by so you can jot down your thoughts,
Ideas,
Or impressions directly after our session.
And always remember that if the mind wanders,
No worries.
Acknowledge that it's happening and return to the breath.
If you fall asleep,
Which you might not with this practice,
But all is well.
Rest is essential.
Remember self-compassion.
There is no right or wrong way to practice.
And lastly,
Any instruction on technique,
I'll prompt by simply saying,
Listen.
Let us begin.
Come into a comfortable position.
This practice is best seated.
Making sure your spine is upright,
Not rigid or forced,
But aligned.
Stacking the ears over the shoulders,
Shoulders over the hips.
And allow your sitting bones to rest easefully under you.
Take a moment to rest here.
Feel your breath move in and out of the nose.
And as you rest and breathe easy here.
I'd like to invite you to just bring in a few ideas about what the nature of fire represents.
We think of heat.
The summer.
The direction south.
The color red.
The planet Mars.
The smell of something burning.
Maybe something cooking on the grill.
Or an open fire pit.
Crackling.
As the stars shine in the night sky.
Bring this into your awareness.
There's something exhilarating about what summer brings with the solstice carries.
What this time of year embodies.
Allow that exhilarating feeling to come into your heart that joy,
Pleasure.
And still as this excitement enters your being still allowing the breath to be slow and deep and full.
Notice how your body expands and contracts with each inhalation and exhalation.
Delving here a bit more.
Feel your core muscles as they move in and out.
And your lungs filled with air.
Start to be a little bit more intentional about the inhale and the exhale.
As you feel this expansion and contraction.
Just listen for a moment if you will.
In a few breaths will practice inhaling passively.
Or at your natural rhythm.
And we will exhale with force in a rhythmic pattern,
Contracting the abdomen as the breath moves inward toward the spine.
Gently practice this as you continue to inhale and exhale intentionally.
And that natural contraction of the abdomen.
As your breath moves inward with the exhalation.
As you inhale,
Letting your belly fill sincerely.
And as you exhale you feel that contraction.
Moving the abdomen in toward the spine.
I'll give you an example of what this will sound like.
This is the breath of fire.
We'll take a nice deep inhale.
Letting the belly expand.
And then we'll exhale quickly.
Exhaling fully.
And then we'll repeat the process.
Let's try this together.
Settle back in.
Again,
Making sure the ears are stacked over the shoulders,
Shoulders over the hips.
And allow the spine to move into a dignified position.
Soft yet strong.
We'll begin with a full and deep inhale.
And we'll exhale fully and deeply through the nose.
We'll start practice now inhaling naturally and fully.
And exhale with force.
Keep going.
Inhale.
And exhale through the nose.
Fully and deeply.
Pause here.
Let's integrate this,
Allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm for a moment.
And feel what you feel.
And in this time,
Let's bring in to your mind and body,
The humanity of fire.
As it manifests within the human body.
We think of the heart and its paired organ system,
The small intestine.
We think of the tongue.
And the way that we speak,
Communicate,
Share and express.
Sweat from hot summer heat.
Our blood vessels.
Coursing and circulating our blood.
We think of joy and pleasure and laughter.
The sound of a child.
Expressing deep joy.
Expressing heartily.
Bring these things into your consciousness.
Let's try this again together.
Take a nice deep breath in through the nose,
Filling up the belly.
Exhale fully and deeply through the nose.
We'll begin breath of fire with another inhale deeply.
And forceful exhale.
And exhale.
Exhale and exhale.
Pause for a moment here.
Letting this integrate into the body and the mind and the heart.
And let's try this once more.
This time at your own pace.
I will simply provide a cue to help guide you through the practice.
Take a few natural inhales and exhales.
And we'll begin again with a full and deep inhale.
Exhale fully and deeply.
Inhale naturally again.
And exhale with force.
Keep going.
Integrating with a natural inhale.
And exhale fully and deeply.
Drawing navel to spine.
Allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
And take a few more breaths.
Just a few more moments.
Feeling your breath move in and out.
And allowing the body to unite everything we've practiced.
Allowing the body to unite everything we've practiced.
Everything we've leaned into together during our time.
Notice any sensations that are coming up.
And you can slowly begin to deepen the breath as you prepare to continue on with your day.
And as the breath deepens you can start to bring gentle movement into your fingers and toes.
And allow the movement to move up the limbs toward your trunk,
Your neck,
And head.
If any other movement feels good to you,
You can take that too.
And when you are ready,
Slowly open your eyes with a soft gaze off the tip of the nose.
And slowly allow your eyes to rise,
Reconnecting with the space.
Look around.
Notice anything that has shifted in your mind and heart.
And keep breathing slowly,
Fully,
And deeply.
Thank you so much for taking this time to practice with me.
I will see you next time.
