Welcome to a breathing practice.
My name is Jacqueline,
And it is my honor to guide you on a journey of transformative breath work.
The breath is a reflection of the nervous system.
So having awareness of the breath helps you get in touch with regulating your autonomic nervous system.
Just simple awareness can shift your state of body and mind.
This specific breath work technique we'll practice together today is called alternate nostril breathing.
It helps connect pathways of the left and right brain.
Benefits of this practice include feeling more centered and balanced in body and mind.
To prepare for the practice,
Take a seat on a chair or just sit on the ground with a tall spine.
If it's available,
You can lean against a wall.
Just ensure that your spine is erect and comfortable.
Relax the shoulders and relax the belly.
I will guide you through a few rounds of alternate nostril breathing.
You will either use your hand to manually close one nostril.
For example,
Place your right thumb on your right nostril and inhale through your left nostril.
Pause at the top of the breath and then use your ring finger and pinky to close your left nostril and exhale out the right.
Now inhale through the right nostril,
Closing off the left nostril.
Pause at the top.
Now release the left nostril and close the right nostril using your thumb.
Exhale out through the left.
You can imagine that as you breathe,
You're drawing a triangle up and down the left and right nostrils of the nose.
So we'll breathe in through the left.
Exhale through the right.
Inhale through the right.
Exhale through the left.
Good.
Now that you have the hang of it,
Let's add mental counting to the practice so that each breath is even and smooth.
So you'll inhale to the count of four and exhale to the count of four.
If your breath is shorter or longer,
No worries,
You can count to three or five.
Pick a number that works for you.
Let's continue on.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale through the right,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale through the left,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale through the left,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale through the right,
Two,
Three,
Four.
4.
Continue on with alternate nostril breathing for 3 more cycles going at your own pace.
You may notice your breath increases in length.
That's okay,
Just count to 5 or 6,
But make sure each side is even.
Good.
We'll take one final round together.
Just pick up where you left off.
Lower your hand down,
And now let the breath be natural,
In and out both nostrils.
Notice the difference of how you feel in your mind.
Notice how the breath has changed.
Notice how the body feels.
This is an introductory practice to alternate nostril breathing.
The yogic name in the Sanskrit language for this practice is called Nadi Shodhana,
And it is also believed that it balances the meridians of the body.
So I recommend trying this practice a couple times throughout your day to feel more balanced and centered.
As you become more proficient in the technique,
You can set a timer and just increase the practice by a few minutes each time.
Just notice how it positively impacts your day to day.
I hope you've enjoyed this breathing practice with me.
Thank you for practicing,
And have a great rest of your day.
