Find your way into a comfortable seated position.
For this practice,
Headphones are not recommended because we're stimulating the vagus nerve pathway around the ears.
I invite you to bring one hand to your heart and another to your lower belly.
Relax back into your chair,
Closing your eyes and turning your attention inward.
Just noticing your body with your bottom planted in the chair and your feet against the earth.
Sense the warmth between your hands and your body.
As you rest here I will explain our practice.
I've heard from some of you that it's hard for you to relax with a short practice.
I encourage you to keep doing the vagus nerve activations because as you practice you strengthen your vagal tone that will allow your body to respond more quickly.
We are moving into balloon breathing so it's helpful for you to imagine blowing up a balloon on your exhalation.
You can keep your hands on your body or release them.
Let's start the breathing practice together and then you can quickly move into your own pace.
Exhale now gently drawing the belly inward squeezing out stale air.
Inhale.
Pause.
Pucker your lips just slightly and slowly exhale through your lips like you're blowing up a balloon.
Good.
Inhale.
Pause.
Pucker lips.
Exhale slowly gently toning the belly for a long exhalation.
Inhale.
Pause.
Pucker.
Exhale in a long slow rhythm.
Continue at your own pace focusing on the elongated exhale.
This breath is calming for the body and is especially recommended for people with breathing difficulties.
If you find yourself short of breath or panicky it's important to lengthen the exhalation.
Then the inhale comes in more deeply.
Continue to breathe in this manner as we move into our vagus nerve practice from Donna Eden and her work Energy Medicine.
Place your middle fingers behind the base of your earlobe.
Find the little notch or indentation there and rub this area in circles.
Some of you will sense tenderness so be gentle.
Keep your breathing up by extending your exhalation.
Now place all of your fingers on your face in front of your ears.
Push upwards and tuck your thumbs on the points behind the earlobes.
Your fingers go all the way up and rest at your temples.
Relax here.
It's like you're giving your face a hug.
You may find it more comfortable to tip your head forward slightly and relax your elbows into your chest.
Return to your balloon breathing toning the belly to elongate that exhalation.
As you stay here and breathe I would like to explain how the notch behind your earlobe can be used as a stress barometer.
If you massage these points and they are tender it signals you that you're probably in the stress response.
So use this practice to bring energy to this area.
It's an important point on the triple warmer meridian or energy pathway.
Triple warmer is in charge of our body's flight fight freeze response.
Keeping this area open is very important to our nervous system.
Checking here first thing in the morning and stimulating these points can set the vagal tone for your day.
Now release your hands and let go of your breath as we move from doing to being.
Come back home to yourself turning your gaze inward noticing any changes.
You may sense more saliva in your mouth or perhaps you're breathing more deeply or perhaps you feel a little more space in your body.
May peace guard your heart and your mind my friends.
