Finding The Breath

This practice is ideal for those starting out with meditation or those that are feeling heavy from stress and would like a simple practice to bring relaxation back into their energetics. We can use the breath to control the nervous system, where it can relax us in the moment and according to research, also creates less stress reactivity over time.

Transcript

So if you'd like to close down your eyes Getting yourself comfortable Just any way at all that's going to be comfortable for you for the next 30 minutes And as you start to find stillness within your physical Starting to rest your awareness on your breath Feeling the breath as it gently floats in And it gently floats out With no judgment, We're just simply being with the breath With your awareness on your nostrils Might notice this sensation of the air floating in And the air floating out You might notice the different qualities of the air And how that might change Between that in-breath And the out-breath As you start to slow down that breath Just as best you can Might start to notice a softening And then as we follow the breath through the nose Down the throat and into the lungs And then as we follow the breath through the nose Down the throat and into the lungs Noticing how that feels And then as the air reaches the lungs You maybe direct that breath And if you can make a little bit more expansion Out the left side body And then what about out the back of the lungs You direct the breath out towards the back of the lungs Feeling that expansion Out the back body Space through which we receive And then what about around to the right side Start to find more expansion over towards the right side your lungs And then what about around to the front Feeling how that feels That expansion out the front of the lungs is more accentuated And then what about the top of the lungs And then as we move back down to the left side of the lungs You maybe direct that breath to the bottom of the left side of the lungs Just as best you can And then what about the top of the lungs Just as best you can And then what about the front bottom part of the lungs By getting that connecting into that deeper breath now the different lung segment You might notice a difference You might notice a difference In the way that you're feeling or the way that you're breathing And we Only deep into the lung And then around to the right side bottom of the lungs now And you start to direct the breath down there Taking your awareness around the back now the back onto the bottom of your lungs And what about the whole bottom of your lungs all at the same time It's our diaphragm the large muscle that runs under the bottom of the lungs And it's this very movement at that bottom of the diaphragm It helps to counteract a stress response As we tap into the breath And start to move the breath around As we tap into the breath And start to move the breath down The bottom of the lungs And helps to create expansion As the body knows that it's safe to relax I need to be on high alert is a call We allow ourselves quick and Seeing if you can connect in with that diaphragm and feel that drawing down As the lungs Reaches its fullness The sensation of the belly filling with air But it's that action of the diaphragm drawing down into the belly stands The organs of the belly As you relax the belly This allows the diaphragm to draw down will flee Now I'm going to move into what's called the yogic breaths of the three-part breath What we can imagine As if we were filling a glass of water So as you begin the inhale You begin the inhale from the bottom of the lungs filling the bottom of the lungs And then filling this through the center of the lungs All the way up to the very top. There's no rock Gently and slowly And then with the out breath releasing the breath from the top of the lungs as if we're pouring out the glass of water In the middle of the lungs Bring out of the bottom of the lungs At the end of that out breath you might notice a contraction This is the pause that also moves us into expansion And then as you release At the end of the out breath and allow that in breath come back in we're filling from the bottom of the lungs Then the middle Right to the very top Then releasing again From the top middle And then exhaling all the air out and pause For that in breath It's this pause at the end of the out breath and also Helps to balance that nervous system And It's gonna continue This breathing pattern so we're filling up the glass of water And then emptying out Glass of water And what's We fill the glass of water again Doesn't matter if you lose track at all just noticing whenever you do Coming back into the moment and back onto the breath It's reap for breathing And so just finishing that round of breath you're on And returning your normal rhythm But gentle long deep and steady Now is your awareness in the center of your lungs Seeing if you can find that expansion evenly Energy Out through all parts From the sides the top and the bottom Will expanding evenly radiating out on the center This is how prana a life force Energy that's created from the breath Radiates out The center of a heart space Energetic center the center of the lungs Now With your awareness in your heart space Like for you to Bring to mind something that you're grateful for Something That Happened in the last few days or something that maybe is always happening Anything at all Helps you to feel gratitude And connecting in with that feeling Letting go of the thing and holding that feeling Bringing it into your heart space Feeling that gratitude moving all the way through your heart space With each breath in and each breath out Allowing that gratitude Grow more intensely Feeling joy Appreciation Radiating it out through all of your energy layers Bathing and this beautiful energy Attitude joy Joy And appreciation As it moves through all of your energy layers Cleansing and clearing Transforming raising your vibrational field Feeling that energy Sending this energy out All of those around us No exclusions no exceptions Just allowing yourself to stay in these breath spaces Beautiful feelings gratitude Joy and appreciation As long as you'd like