Welcome to your meditation.
Today we focus on the breath and use it to help us connect with this moment with ourselves and to improve our health.
Today's exercise is the 4-7-8 breath.
This exercise can be used in times of stress,
When you're feeling anxious,
Or when you need help getting back to sleep.
The 4-7-8 breath has been in existence for centuries and used by yogis to help us connect using our breath.
When doing this exercise,
It is important to focus on allowing yourself to exhale for twice as long as your inhale.
This activates the vagus nerve,
Which is the main instrument of the parasympathetic nervous system.
This part of our nervous system is what controls our relaxation response,
Which allows us to settle our brains and help our bodies relax and heal.
Being in this relaxed state allows for all types of healing,
Mental and physical.
And with that,
I invite you to join me in this exercise.
I invite you to sit comfortably with an awake spine,
With your feet flat on the ground,
Connected to the earth.
Or alternatively,
You may wish to lay down if you're trying to rest.
I invite you to close your eyes if you're in a comfortable place,
Or hold a soft gaze.
I'll lead us through the exercise.
And I invite you to take a breath,
Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
Let's do that two more times.
Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
And once again,
Inhaling and exhale.
Notice where your tongue is in your mouth.
Allow it to settle on the roof of your mouth,
Forming a circle of energy.
This can be a focal point during this exercise if that serves you.
We'll start the 4-7-8 breath.
We'll do four breaths together.
I'll count for our first breath,
And then give you prompts for the following three.
Let's take a deep inhale to start,
Again with the tongue on the roof of the mouth.
And inhaling.
And exhale.
And inhale 2-3-4.
Hold 2-3-4-5-6-7.
And exhale 2-3-4-5-6-7-8.
And inhale.
Hold 2-3-4-5-6-7.
And exhale.
And inhale.
Hold 2-3-4-5-6-7.
And exhale.
And one last time together.
Inhale.
Hold.
And exhale.
And allowing your body to go back to its natural rhythm of breath.
Allowing yourself to notice that your mind is truly in this moment.
How it feels in your body and in your mind to be just here.
And breathing that in.
And slowly allowing yourself to be back where your body is seated or laying.
Maybe moving your fingers and toes.
Fluttering your eyes to wake the mind.
Knowing you can always come back to this exercise when you need it.
I hope that serves you.
