Mindful Release Meditation

Allow Courtney to take you through this alternate-nostril breathing meditation which can bring better balance to your nervous system and bring you into a state of pure relaxation and peace. The best time for this practice is early morning.

Transcript

Asatoma Satkamayah Tamasoma Hi,

I'm Courtney and I'm going to teach you today Dhanushodana Pranayama.

So this pranayama balances out the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system,

The right and left hemisphere of the brain.

And at the end you should be feeling alert but very peaceful and relaxed.

So it's an excellent state to meditate in,

So you're always welcome to do a nice five or ten minute meditation when you finish.

It's also a great state to write,

To cook,

To enter a meeting.

If you're stressed or nervous about something it can really balance the mind before you go to take on this event.

So definitely a recommended pranayama and an excellent tool in life.

So you can do this pranayama anytime of the day,

Morning,

Afternoon or evening.

I like to do it first thing in the morning.

I feel like it really balances me out before the day gets going.

But if you don't have time after lunch or before dinner is an excellent time.

So we're going to start and we'll start with the hand position.

So find your right hand and taking the right hand we're going to close off the first two fingers.

So the pointer finger and the middle finger get closed off and we're kind of in this three finger.

So our pinky finger and our ring finger are up and the thumb.

If this feels a bit to you,

You can always close all the fingers and do kind of a hang loose which works just as well.

Otherwise if you are doing the more advanced it would be the three fingers.

So the pinky finger just kind of hangs out it actually doesn't do anything.

And the ring finger will go to the left nostril and the thumb will go to the right nostril.

So just gently pressing them there.

And what we're going to do is we'll be closing off one nostril breathing through the other.

So for the first round I'll guide you through on what nostril to open and close.

And then after that on the following rounds we'll make it a little more advanced and I'll just say right left.

So let's go ahead and begin.

So close the eyes relax the shoulders bring your fingers to your nostrils but not closing a nostril yet.

And we'll inhale through both nostrils.

Closing the right nostril we'll exhale through the left nostril.

Inhaling through the left nostril.

Close the left nostril release the right nostril exhale right.

Inhale through the right nostril.

Close the right nostril release the left exhale left.

Inhale through the left nostril.

Close the left nostril release the right exhale right.

Inhale right nostril.

Close the right nostril.

Release the left and exhale left.

Inhale through the left nostril.

Close the left nostril release the right nostril and exhale right.

And go ahead release the hand down and come back to center.

Good maybe noticing any changes in the nervous system or the body.

And then let's do it again and this time we're going to go with the count of my voice.

So try to keep your your breath even.

So we'll do even inhale even exhale as much as possible.

And if for some reason this seems difficult for you that's very normal.

Over time it actually gets easier to stay with the count and even out the breath.

And the main reason that we actually do this pranayama is to even out the breath.

So if it's difficult and you find that one side is easier one side is more difficult and you're having a hard time keeping evenness in the breath.

Just be aware of that there's there's no judgment in that over time with doing the pranayama it will even out.

So find your right hand again and then come back curling the fingers over using the ring finger and the thumb.

Close the eyes.

Inhale through both nostrils.

Close the right nostril and exhale left.

Two,

Three,

Four.

Inhale left.

Two,

Three,

Four.

Closing the left nostril exhaling right.

Two,

Three,

Four.

Inhaling right.

Two,

Three,

Four.

Close the right nostril and exhale left.

Two,

Three,

Four.

Inhale left.

Two,

Three,

Four.

Close the left nostril release right.

Exhale two,

Three,

Four.

Inhaling right.

Two,

Three,

Four.

Closing the right nostril releasing the left.

Exhaling two,

Three,

Four.

Inhaling left.

Two,

Three,

Four.

Close the left nostril release the right.

Exhaling two,

Three,

Four.

Inhaling right.

Two,

Three,

Four.

Close the right nostril release left.

Exhale two,

Three,

Four.

Inhaling left.

Two,

Three,

Four.

Closing left exhaling right two,

Three,

Four,

Inhaling right two,

Three,

Four,

Exhaling left two,

Three,

Four,

Inhaling left two,

Three,

Four,

Closing left exhaling right two,

Three,

Four,

Inhaling right two,

Three,

Four,

Closing right,

Exhale left,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Inhale left,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale right,

Two,

Three,

Four.

And go ahead and relax the hand down.

Keep the eyes closed or soften the gaze to the floor.

And just noticing the nervous system and how it feels.

Great.

So we'll do another round and then after the round we're going to sit in five-minute meditation.

So we'll sit in a silent meditation and I'll guide you through that as well.

So find your right hand again and then find your finger position.

So curling under the pointer finger and the middle finger.

Bringing the hand position to the nose,

Inhaling through both nostrils,

Closing the right nostril,

Exhaling left,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Inhaling left,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale right,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Inhale right,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale left,

One,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Inhale left,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale right,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Inhale right,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale left,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Inhale left,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale right two,

Three,

Four,

Inhale right two,

Three,

Four exhale left two,

Three,

Four,

Inhale left two,

Three,

Four exhale right two,

Three,

Four,

Inhale right two,

Three,

Four Exhale left,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Inhale left,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale right,

Two,

Three,

Four.

And go ahead and release the hand down.

Let's keep the eyes closed.

And the breath is natural,

Normal,

No forced or controlled breathing.

And doing a very short scan of the body.

So starting at the crown of the head,

Just feeling any sensation on the crown of the head,

Just bringing awareness there.

And then dropping awareness down to the forehead,

To the brow,

Softening the brow.

Softening the jaw,

Feeling the neck and the shoulders,

Softening the chest.

Softening the chest,

Relaxing the arms and hands,

Relaxing the belly and abdomen,

And then bringing awareness to the pelvic region,

Relaxing the pelvic region,

Feeling this whole body in relaxation,

And then let's just bring our awareness to our heart area,

So our chest area,

And then without trying to control it,

Just watch the breath,

Just witness it move in and out,

And any sensations or emotions that come up with it,

It's as if you're a witness,

Not getting involved,

Not trying to control or change anything,

Just watching,

And if the mind wanders,

Just bring it back to this observation of the chest rising and falling,

There's no right or wrong way to do this,

It's just observing,

Just witnessing,

The mind wanders,

Bring it back,

Remaining here for another 60 seconds or so,

And then you can remain here in a comfortable meditative state for as long as you'd like,

Otherwise we have finished our pranayama meditation for the day,

Thank you for joining me,

Have a great afternoon.

Reviews

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