Namaste.
Welcome to today's practice.
In this practice,
We will be focusing on slowing down the breath with a gentle rhythmic three-part yogic breath known as Durga Pranayama.
In Sanskrit,
Durga means long or deep.
And pranayama translates to control of the life force or breath.
So Durga Pranayama means the long breath of life.
This practice is often called the three-part yogic breath because we'll breathe into three natural spaces of the body,
The belly,
The ribs,
And the chest.
It's a beautiful way to calm the mind,
Regulate the nervous system,
And reconnect with the body's natural rhythm.
So take a moment to settle in and get comfortable.
Either sitting upright with your spine long or lying down comfortably.
Close your eyes and allow your hands to rest,
Perhaps one on your belly and one on your chest.
Begin by simply noticing your breath as it is.
Breathing in through the nose.
And out through the nose.
No need to force or control it.
Just observe the gentle rise and fall.
Notice the coolness of the inhale.
And the warmth of the exhale.
With each exhale,
Feel yourself settling a little more deeply into this moment.
Into stillness.
Into ease.
Now let's begin to deepen the breath together.
Inhale slowly through your nose,
Filling your belly,
Then expanding into your ribs,
And finally letting it lift into your chest and collarbones.
Now exhale,
Releasing the air from the chest first,
Then the ribs,
And then the belly,
Softening completely.
You can exhale through the nose or mouth,
Whatever feels more comfortable.
Let's do that again.
Inhale,
Start to fill the belly,
Then the ribs,
And then up to the chest.
And then exhale from the chest down to the ribs and allow the belly to deflate.
Again,
Inhale,
Filling the belly,
Expanding the ribs,
And then the chest.
Then exhale from the chest down to the ribs,
Down to the belly.
Now continue at your own pace.
Inhaling belly,
Ribs,
And chest.
Exhaling chest,
Ribs,
And belly.
Imagine the breath like a wave gently flowing up through the body.
And back down through the body.
With each inhale,
Feel yourself becoming more open and spacious.
With each exhale more grounded and calm.
If the mind wanders,
Gently return to the rhythm,
The wave of the breath.
Flowing up and down the body.
Notice how the breath feels fuller now,
Smooth and steady and complete.
Allowing each inhale to feel nourishing and filling.
And each exhale,
A releasing and a softening.
Now you can return to a natural breath.
Noticing the natural rise and fall of the breath.
The gentle expansion and softening of the body.
And notice how it feels to be fully present here in this moment.
This practice invites us to remember that peace begins with one simple act,
A long conscious breath.
Now take one more deep,
Cleansing breath in,
Filling the belly,
The ribs,
And the chest.
Open the mouth and sigh it out.
Let it go.
And when you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes.
And feel free to come back to this practice at any time.
And always remember to breathe.
