Welcome to your post-workout recovery session.
This breath work is designed to accelerate your body's natural recovery process and replenish energy stores.
So props to you for prioritizing this after your workout today.
This practice is best done seated,
Straight back,
Flexion at the hips,
And feet on the floor.
If sitting doesn't feel comfortable and you prefer to lie down,
Go on ahead.
I would suggest making sure that your back is flat,
Knees are up,
And again,
Feet planted on the floor to ground yourself.
Let us start off by setting an intention to allow for a change of input.
You've likely just come from a more intense environment or state of mind with your workout,
So you can use this breath session to steer your state towards recovery and replenishment.
So as you begin to settle into this recovery breath,
Notice the natural rhythms of your inhalations and exhalations without trying to change anything.
And now we can use a purposeful breathing sequence to downshift from that higher heart rate and intensity of your workout.
Through the mouth,
Inhale,
And through the mouth,
Exhale.
Through the nose,
Inhale,
Your whole abdomen expanding.
Now passive exhale through the mouth,
Letting it fall naturally.
Through the nose,
Inhale,
And through the nose,
Exhale with a squeeze,
Pulling the belly towards the spine to push that air through.
Through the nose,
Inhale,
And now a passive exhale through the nose like an automatic release valve.
And then one final nasal inhale,
Soft belly,
Followed by a silent nasal exhale like a secret conversation between you and your own body.
It's pretty amazing the difference that you can feel within just five intentional breaths.
Let's continue leveraging this power by envisioning your torso as a cylinder capable of a 360 degree breath.
Let's practice inhaling slowly through the mouth,
First expanding the abdomen,
Then the belly,
The upper lungs,
And the chest.
Through the mouth,
Exhale slowly and completely,
Engaging those abdominal muscles to gently pass the air out of the lungs.
Good.
Through the nose,
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Expand with the inhale and contract with the exhale.
Fill your belly,
Torso,
Rib cage,
And release,
Contracting your abdominals to move that breath.
Again,
Inhale,
Embracing that breath.
Through the mouth,
Exhale now for eight,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Inhale envisioning that 360 degree breath,
And then exhale for eight.
Here we're activating the relaxation response in the brain through elongated exhales.
Inhale,
Four.
Through the mouth,
Exhale eight,
Through pursed lips this time,
Like breathing through a straw.
Inhale,
Four.
Through the mouth,
Exhale eight,
Cultivating as much patience as you can through this breath.
Inhale,
Four,
Shoulders down,
Belly full,
And exhale,
Eight,
Pursed lips,
Slow and controlled,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Nice work.
We will now end this session with a body scan using a triangular breath to bring both focus and patience top of mind.
Think of this as a deliberate choice to pause and fully integrate the effort and purposeful stress of your workout.
We'll practice once,
And then I'll cue you with the muscle or body part that we're focusing on.
Nasal inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Nasal exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
And hold steady,
Tapping into a purposeful surrender here.
Nasal inhale for four,
And nasal exhale into the feet and ankles,
And pausing here on empty,
Relaxing the feet and ankles even more.
Nasal inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Nasal exhale into the shins and calves,
And now hold empty,
Inviting in a deeper recovery.
Nasal inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale into the quads and hamstrings now,
And hold here and allow your legs to sink deeper into the chair or the mat.
Nasal inhale,
Nasal exhale into the hips and glutes this time,
And hold,
Letting your glutes and hips truly settle,
Heavier and heavier.
Nasal inhale,
Nasal exhale into the belly and abdomen,
And hold.
Give your belly permission to disengage.
Nasal inhale,
Nasal exhale into the chest and back,
And hold there,
Feeling your chest soften and your back release.
Nasal inhale,
Nasal exhale into the shoulders and traps.
Hold here.
Let your arms hang heavy,
Using gravity to your advantage.
Nasal inhale,
Nasal exhale down the arms and into the hands.
And hold,
Embracing complete stillness and complete surrender.
One final nasal inhale,
And nasal exhale through the head and neck.
Hold here,
Feeling the spaciousness between your ears and your shoulders.
And from here,
Take three more breaths,
Using your own rhythm,
Your own depth and pace,
And enjoy the integration of all your hard work.
