All right,
So we will start seated and we'll just start going straight into our breathing.
Okay,
So we'll do spinal breathing to start off with and because we haven't done any physical movement beforehand,
Just allow a little extra roll,
You know,
Shoulder roll,
Elbow roll,
Just don't allow a bit more freedom of movement as opposed to simple spine.
Okay.
All right.
So just take a nice deep breath in to begin,
Exhale through the mouth.
Just take another deep breath in and exhale.
One more deep breath in and exhale.
And now just come into the jai breath.
Just give yourself a few breaths just to settle yourself,
Bringing yourself into this moment.
Maybe bringing an intention for the day,
For the practice.
Maybe just a feeling that you wish to evoke and bring that into your heart.
And just start to make the breath a little bit deeper.
Starting to feel the breath coming in from above,
Filling up the chest.
Feeling the exhale coming in from below,
The belly pulling in and up.
And now with each breath,
Inviting that sensation of movement,
That awareness of movement to become a bit bigger.
Inviting the breath up into the shoulders on the inhale,
Inviting the spine to curl and round on the exhale as we slowly breath by breath,
Move into our spinal breathing.
And really invite fluidity into the spinal breath.
Allowing that breath to move into the shoulders,
Out through the fingertips as you exhale.
Inviting the arms to move with the breath,
Even if that's just up and down the legs or making circles with the wrists,
Whatever feels right.
Maybe even inviting a roll of the shoulders,
Like moving one shoulder and then the other.
So we're breaking away from the simple linear movement and branching out.
Inviting that breath into the under the shoulder blades,
Down the arms out through the fingertips.
Beautiful.
Now just take two more deep breaths.
And exhale all the air out,
Holding the breath at the end of the exhale.
Relax the body.
And down into the stomach.
And exhale all the air out.
And just enjoying nice breaths.
Bringing in the Ujjayi breath.
Just relaxing the body,
Resting the awareness in everything that is right now.
Just observing the breath as it gently flows in and out.
Now we're going to move into our Bhashtaka breath.
So when you're ready,
Taking that first deep breath in to begin.
And then moving through full inhalation,
Full exhalation.
Focusing.
Full inhalation,
Full exhale.
Letting the tummy muscles come together,
Squeezing all the air out each time,
Finding your rhythm.
Bringing in new energy,
Flushing out all of the old energy.
And then at the end of your last exhale,
Exhaling all the air out and holding the breath for as long as you can.
Finding that internal lift if it feels right to do so.
Again,
Just resting the awareness,
Softening the outside of the body,
Allowing that internal column of energy and internal strength to flow freely.
Then pause at the top of the inhale,
Relaxing the shoulders,
Feeling the fullness.
And then when the next breath comes,
Landing gently back into your natural breath.
Just allowing the breath to flow freely and with ease.
Restoring equilibrium.
Just relaxing all the muscles in your face,
Relaxing the forehead,
The eyebrows.
Finding a gentle touch,
Just coming down the shoulders,
Relaxing you where you are.
And then from this easeful relaxed place,
We're going to do one more round of back to breath.
The first 10 breaths in with the mouth and I will do it with you.
We're going to do it at a slightly quicker pace.
So when you're ready,
Take that first deep breath in to begin.
In with the mouth.
And exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Keep going.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale out through the mouth.
Exhale.
And take that last deep breath in to begin.
Feel out through the mouth.
Hold the breath.
Find that internal lift and just hold for as long as you can.
And then whenever you want to breathe again,
Just taking that full breath in and landing back into your natural breath.
So allowing the breath be as soft as possible.
And once it's settled into a soft rhythm,
Gentle,
Just bring the Ujjayi breath in,
Keeping the breath steady.
Maybe the Ujjayi breath helps to lengthen the inhale,
Lengthen the exhale.
We move into our four part breathing.
Asking the pause at the top and at the bottom of the breath to naturally arise.
But asking yourself to be in those pauses for a moment longer.
Keeping your awareness and your focus on every step of the breath.
And every heartbeat in the stillness.
Allowing all thoughts,
Feelings to just pass through the mind like a bird in the sky.
Flying high above.
Not even the beat of the wings of the thoughts create a ripple in your focus.
But if they do,
That's okay.
Really bring that focus back to the breath.
Now keeping this four part breathing,
But just bringing your awareness into your heart.
Breathing into the heart space,
Feeling the chest expand,
Feeling that breath coming in from above,
That receptivity.
The exhale feeling that strength being gathered as the exhale pulls the tummy up.
Breathe in love and receptivity.
We exhale and release with strength.
Awareness and gentleness in equal measure when each action comes from the heart.
And the chant that we will sing today,
The very simple chant,
The chant to the Buddha,
To the Buddha nature that resides in every single being.
And to Dharma,
Which is the teachings,
The teachings that flow through our wisdom,
Through our experience,
And also through our receptivity in life.
Then to Sangha,
This is community.
We are beings of love and compassion.
We are to be in this life together as one.
And today are the three words of the chant Buddha,
Dharma,
Sangha.
And it's a very simple tune.
I will chant and you can join in whenever you wish.
S And Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Buddha Dhamma Buddha Dhamma Sangha Hey Just resting your awareness on the beautiful being that you are.
Reaching an acceptance of the being that you are.
Knowing that the Buddha nature is within you.
All the teachings that you need,
You shall receive.
Know that you are not in this life alone.
And allowing that knowledge,
That knowing,
That love and compassion to sit in your heart.
And like a flame,
Allow that warmth to be filled with you.
And now we'll close the session by chanting to Ganesha followed by the closing tongue.
Ganesha Sharanam Sharanam Ganesha Sharanam Ganesha Sharanam Sharanam Ganesha Sharanam Sharanam Ganesha Sharanam Sharanam Ganesha Sharanam Ganesha May all beings be happy and free.
Sukhino Bhavanthu May all beings be happy and free.
Sukhino Bhavanthu May all beings be happy and free.
Sukhino Bhavanthu May all beings be happy and free.
Sukhino Bhavanthu May all beings be happy and free.
Sukhino Bhavanthu Namaste.
