Welcome to our bedtime breath work practice.
I want you to do this practice wherever you're most comfortable and feel most at ease.
That might mean you're seated,
It might mean you're laying down,
You could even lay down in bed.
Just make sure it's a place where you can breathe easily.
You don't feel restricted or constrained in any way.
We're just going to start by letting the body rest and relax.
So do any little movements that help you to settle.
Maybe walking the shoulder blades a little further back behind you.
Those little wiggles that kind of make all the difference.
Those little wiggles that kind of make all the difference.
You might even rest one hand or both on your belly or chest.
You could take a full breath in through the nose.
And a long sigh out the mouth.
Let's do two more of those.
So big breath in,
The biggest breath you've taken all day.
Exhale,
Sigh it out.
Feel as the belly and chest melt and release.
Last one,
Maybe the biggest breath in you've taken all week.
Really fill the lungs,
Fill the belly.
Let it all go,
Maybe a nice audible sigh.
Let your breath return to its natural pace and rhythm,
Breathing through the nose.
Feel the feedback of your belly and chest rising and falling in your hands.
And how kind of effortless that is.
It happens naturally every time we breathe.
And see if you can really let the breath just flow here,
Inviting the belly and chest to soften even just a little bit.
Those are two areas that get kind of tense throughout the day.
We start to round forward,
We start to round back,
And we start to round back and forth.
We start to round forward and try to protect that soft front of the body.
So just let it go here.
That'll allow us to start to take some slower,
Fuller breaths.
And as we start to move into a little bit more breath work here,
Keep in mind that we want these breath work practices to be pretty gentle.
We don't want to feel like we are forcing air in or out.
We want the breath to be smooth and steady.
And ideally the breath gets so effortless that it doesn't even affect the one after it.
Notice your breath right now,
How your body is just breathing for you.
You're just keeping an eye on it.
That fluid breath.
And we're going to start with just a few rounds of breathing in and out to the same count.
And just starting to even out the length of the inhale and exhale.
And we'll be breathing to a count of four here.
If my count doesn't serve you,
You can always let it go.
And we'll start to move into a little bit more breath work here.
If my count doesn't serve you,
You can always let it go or find your own count.
Otherwise start with that breath in on your own,
Not counted.
And out through your nose on your own.
Breathe in,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out.
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out.
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out.
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out.
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause.
Out,
Three,
Two,
One,
Pause.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause.
Out,
Three,
Two,
One,
Pause.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause.
Out,
Three,
Two,
One,
Pause.
Breathe in on your own.
And out on your own.
So we're going to add on to that breath.
We're going to keep inhaling to that count of four.
And then on every third round,
We're going to extend the exhale by one count.
And slowing down the exhale just helps the body to relax,
To move into its rest and digest mode.
Can be really calming.
You might find that you reach a point where the exhales aren't long enough for you.
And then you can tune out of my voice and keep exhaling to that count.
Otherwise,
Start with your own breath in again,
Not counted.
Your own exhale.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Out,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
We'll stay here at seven out,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause,
Out,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause,
Out,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Pause,
Seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Take your own breath in,
Gentle,
Your own smooth breath out.
Keep breathing on your own,
Almost like you're just letting the air breathe you,
No effort required.
Notice how it feels to breathe without any count.
Nice.
Keep it going.
Feel your breath in your belly and chest.
You might even slide both hands over your heart now,
If they're not there already.
Feel your heart beating into your hands.
You might still be feeling the breath to both of those rhythms at the same time.
Send gratitude to your body for all that it does for you,
All day,
Every day.
Maybe sending some gratitude to those who came before us,
Who passed these practices down to us.
And sending gratitude to yourself for carving out this time in your evening to practice.
Thanks for joining me.
Peace.
