Welcome to this practice of Digha Pranayama,
A three-part yogic breath that we can use to manage our own energy,
Regulate our own energy.
And usually this practice evokes a feeling of settling down.
So in times of feeling overwhelmed,
When things feel hectic,
This is a great Pranayama practice,
A breath retention technique that can support us to rein the energy in so that we can feel more balanced and harmonious.
So taking a comfortable seat,
Making sure the spine is loosely straight and you feel stable in the way that you're sitting.
Take a moment now just to relax off any unnecessary tension.
You might even let out a sigh on those breaths out.
And the next time that you sweep a breath in,
Just sip one third of the inhale in and pause the breath.
Then keep inhaling the second third of that inhale,
Pause.
Now taking the final third of that in-breath in,
Pause,
And let a long smooth breath out.
Pausing at the bottom of the exhale,
Now taking in a third of the breath,
Pause.
Second third of the breath,
Pause.
Final third of the breath,
Inhaling all the way to the top,
Pause.
Releasing a long,
Slow exhale.
So try to keep the lips closed now as you continue this practice,
And you might imagine as you're taking the first third of the breath in,
That the belly is expanding.
On the second third,
You might feel the lower chest expanding.
And on the final third,
The upper chest expands,
You can feel the collarbones broadening,
Stay relaxed.
With the lips closed,
Letting a long,
Smooth exhalation out.
Continuing this three-part yogic breath in your own time,
Staying as relaxed as you can in the physical body,
Including the shoulders,
Jaw,
Forehead,
Corners of the eyes,
And just pay attention to the technique.
Separating that inhale into three parts,
Allowing that exhale to be released in one long,
Smooth breath out of the nose.
Continuing with this three-part breath as long as you need to,
And once you feel complete,
You can relax any forming or shaping of the breath,
And just watching over natural breaths as they arrive in through the nose and out through the nose,
Without you having to do the breath,
Simply watching over the breath now.
