It's great to have you.
Before we get started,
Just a reminder,
As always,
This meditation series is free,
But if you do feel called to donate,
Please do and know that your donation,
Your gift is greatly appreciated.
And the meditation that we'll be doing today is kind of building on the previous two weeks,
Especially last week's meditation.
Called prana alignment.
We're going to be doing a meditation today which is an adaptation of a pranayama,
Nadi shodhana,
Or alternate nostril breathing.
And in this particular meditation,
We won't be using the hand gesture.
So your hands can remain on your legs or in your lap,
And we'll just be sensing or feeling or trusting that we can alternate the flow of our breath between the different nostrils.
And I'll guide you through that process,
But it's another way a way to align prana and in the yogic tradition These two sides of the nose,
The right and the left,
Are considered channels that surround or wrap or influence a third channel,
The central channel,
Called Shishumna nadi.
Nadi meaning channel.
And Shishumna nadi is said to run the length of the spine.
And because this is subtle body anatomy,
It's not a physical structure in our body.
But we could say that it sits deep within the central part of the spine and runs crown to tailbone.
And the access points are the right nostril and the left nostril on each side.
Correlates with a particular energy or energetic.
So for instance,
The right side.
Is considered influenced by the sun.
It's active.
We could say it's masculine,
Driven by desire.
The left side,
We would say,
Is influenced by the moon.
It's receptive.
It's cooling.
So it's associated with water.
We may also call it related to the maternal or the mother or the feminine.
And so as we alternate awareness,
And remember prana follows awareness.
We begin to influence each of these qualities within us,
These dualistic qualities.
We often think of them as dualistic opposites in a way.
But the truth is that when they combine in the Shoshuna,
Then this dualistic aspect is dissolved,
And there is just one.
So again,
I'll guide you through this process.
Go ahead and get comfortable,
Whatever that may look like for you today.
Situating any props.
You can sit on the earth with or without props.
I always highly encourage using props to support your body,
To pad any joints against hard surfaces.
And to Allow your spine to grow tall.
You can also sit in a chair or on a couch.
Just make sure that your feet can remain flat on the earth.
And once again,
That your spine is tall.
You're welcome to close your eyes.
Or you can just keep your gaze soft.
Begin to land.
Wherever you just came from,
Whatever you were just doing.
Wherever you need to be when we are finished.
Just allow that to be in the background for the next little bit.
And to help you land,
Begin to notice what it is that your senses are taking in.
Maybe you start with your sense of smell.
As you inhale,
Do you notice a scent lingering in the air?
If it's morning time like it is where I am,
Maybe you just brewed a fresh pot of coffee or you have a hot cup of tea waiting.
Or breakfast preparing.
Maybe you're in your meditation space and you've recently lit incense or a candle and maybe you notice that smell wafting through the air.
Take a moment to swallow.
Notice if there's a flavor on your tongue.
Whether the inside of the mouth is dry.
Maybe there's saliva coating the tongue and cheeks.
Cast your awareness off into the distance and notice sounds that are far away.
Let your awareness move from sound to sound.
Then you'll begin to draw your awareness in slightly so that you notice sounds in the space around you.
And then draw your awareness in slightly more and begin to notice.
The sound of your own breath.
Even if your eyes are closed.
Tap into your sense of sight.
Begin to visualize or remember or imagine.
The space around you.
Can you remember the color of the walls if you're inside?
The shape of the room.
For your outdoors.
Can you visualize C?
Your surroundings.
Foliage.
Maybe you're near a body of water.
Maybe near mountains.
Or in a forest.
And then finally,
Draw your awareness to your sense of touch.
Find those places where clothing is resting on your skin.
Where your body is supported by the earth.
Or whatever you are seated upon.
Let your seat begin to grow heavy with gravity.
Establishing an anchor down into the steadiness of the earth.
So that your spine can grow tall.
Allowing your face and your shoulders and your belly to remain soft and relaxed.
And coming back to the awareness of your breath.
Just begin to notice if your breath has a particular texture.
Maybe the breath feels smooth or maybe you're noticing hitches or breaks.
Does your breath feel expansive?
Fool.
Maybe you notice there's a quality of shallowness.
To the breath.
You don't have to do or change anything.
You're just beginning to witness.
To observe how you're arriving to the practice today.
Because prana rides on the breast.
There's a direct relationship here.
Between our life force and how our breath is flowing.
There's also a direct relationship on the rhythm of our breaths.
And the movement of our mind.
Continuing to stay with breath awareness,
You're going to move awareness to the tip of your nose.
And just begin to sense or feel the breath moving in and out through your nose.
Maybe you feel that little tickle.
The entryway of both nostrils.
As the breath is flowing in and out.
Maybe you begin to observe that when you breathe in the breath is cool and when you breathe out the breath is slightly warmer.
Now begin to notice as the breath is moving in through the nose,
Is there one side,
One nostril that seems to be more dominant?
More open,
More clear.
Is it the right side related to the sun?
The left side related to the moon.
Or maybe both sides feel equally open.
You're not trying to change anything.
Not trying to control anything.
There's not a right or wrong.
There's just your experience in this moment.
Awareness remains on the breath.
You may notice that as your awareness continues to rest on the breath,
That it naturally begins to shift on its own.
If there were hitches or breaks,
Maybe you'd notice that they've began to smooth.
To become less frequent.
Maybe you notice that the volume of your breath has changed.
Did it get softer?
Louder.
.
.
Maybe there is a shift in the rhythm.
The length of the inhale and the exhale.
Maybe now the breath is feeling a little more expansive than when you first began.
So now you'll move into.
Allowing your awareness to follow the flow of your breath.
So bring your awareness back to the tip of your nose.
And as you breathe in,
Awareness follows your breath in through the nose and down into the space of your lungs.
As you breathe out,
Awareness moves from the space of your lungs and back out through your nose.
You'll inhale following the breath in once again through the nose down into the space of the lungs.
And exhaling back out from the lungs.
And out through the nose.
And just continue.
To let your awareness follow your breath.
Into the lungs somewhere where it dissolves.
And back out through the nose.
Once again to somewhere.
Where it dissolves.
As your awareness follows the breath,
Maybe you're noticing how far,
How deep into the lungs the breath moves.
Maybe it's right under the collarbone.
The collarbone is gently lifting on the inhale.
Maybe you're noticing the breath moving down into the widest part of the ribs and the ribcage is widening front to back.
And side to side.
Or maybe you notice that the breath is moving down into the deepest depths of the lungs.
And even the belly begins to gently expand.
On the inhale.
Again,
You're not forcing this to happen.
You're not shaping the breath just yet.
Awareness is just following the natural rhythm of your breath.
And out.
Now begin to refine the breaths.
Listening with your inner ear,
Begin to notice the sound of your breath.
Allow that sound.
To become quieter.
You're not holding the breath or shortening the breath.
It's more like a letting go of effort.
You're trusting that you'll receive the inhale.
Release the exhale.
Receiving the inhale.
Releasing the exhale.
Now begin to come back to if the breath has texture.
And if the breath still has texture here,
You'll purposefully begin to smooth any hitches or breaks.
Even if it's just 5%.
Now begin to notice the space between each breath.
Awareness moves to that space between the inhale and the exhale.
A short little pause.
As you continue to breathe,
Each round of breath,
Allow that space between the breath to dissolve,
Little by little.
The inhale moving into the exhale.
The exhale flowing right back into the inhale.
Smoothing the paws.
Now you'll bring your awareness back to the tip of your nose.
Once again,
Feeling the breath move through both sides of the nose.
And now begin to sense the breath as an inverted V.
Meaning as you breathe in,
See or sense or feel the breath moving up both sides of the nose.
Converging at that point right between your eyebrows.
As you exhale,
The breath moves from that single point between your eyebrows back down through both sides of the nose.
Inhaling the breath moves up both sides meeting at the space between your eyebrows.
Exhaling from that single point back down both sides of the nose.
You may wish to see the breath as two streams of light.
If you're someone who's very visual.
Maybe you're someone who's very sensory and you just continue to feel.
That sensation of the breath moving in.
Maybe you just imagine or trust.
Five more rounds.
Awareness following the inverted V.
To the space between the eyebrows on your inhale.
Back out.
Through both sides of the nose on your exhale.
Now bring awareness to the left side of your nose.
Awareness moves to the left side.
See,
Sense,
Or feel the breath move in and up just through the left side.
Landing at that point between the eyebrows.
And on the exhale,
The breath moves down and out through the right side.
You're going to inhale,
The breath moves in and up through the right side.
Landing at that point between the eyebrows.
You exhale,
The breath moves down and out through the left.
Inhale through the left.
Landing at the third eye.
Exhaling through the right.
Inhaling through the right.
Landing at the third eye.
Exhaling through the left.
Inhale,
Lift.
Exhale,
Right.
Inhale,
Right.
Exhale left.
Please continue.
Seeing,
Sensing,
Or feeling.
The breaths moving.
Alternating.
Different sides of the nose.
The left side governed by the moon.
It's receptive.
It's cooling.
It's calming.
The right side,
Governed by the sun.
It's active,
It's fiery.
Passionate even.
The next time you exhale through the left side.
You'll drop the technique and just begin once again to feel the breath moving evenly through both sides.
Bring your awareness to rest once again at the space between your eyebrows.
Notice sensation at the space between your eyebrows.
Become aware of anything that you see or sense on the movie screen of your mind.
Backs of the eyelids,
The space of chit kash.
If you have the time and the space,
You are welcome to stay as long as you like in this meditation.
For those that.
Already or need to come back.
If there's a favorite way that you like to leave your meditation,
Please do so.
Can also just begin to Slowly drop your chin towards your chest.
Bring your hands to heart center,
Begin to rub the palms together creating.
Some warmth.
As the hands become nice and warm,
Take a minute to observe your body.
Is there anywhere that would like to receive a blessing,
An anointing?
And if so,
You can.
Take your hands and place them over that space of your body receiving the warmth.
You can also place the hands over your eyes and gently blink the eyes open.
Slowly coming back.
As you are ready.
Let the eyes open fully.
The hands rest back down onto the legs or into the lap.
