Hello and welcome.
Thank you for gifting me the honor to walk beside you today.
This meditation will provide you with the guidance to develop and grow your daily practice into the magnificent tool that it can become.
People have used the breath as a vehicle for developing mindfulness for centuries and research now has the evidence to validate the profound impact it has on our physical,
Mental,
And emotional health.
Today I will introduce you to three pranayama breathwork practices that can be used to center and ground you in preparation for any meditation.
I recommend creating a sacred space in your home you can return to daily for your practice.
And as you build up an energetic resonance of peace and tranquility,
This space will become a sanctuary with its own powerful vibration that will aid in bringing you to serenity with ease.
Let's start by finding yourself in a comfortable seated position.
Ideally somewhere quiet and free from distractions.
Adorned with any beautiful additions that call to you,
I always recommend items from nature.
Maybe some air purifying plants or healing crystals.
Or maybe an item of spiritual or religious significance that brings you peace.
Investing in yourself fully during this time,
Giving yourself permission to really disconnect from any busyness from the day to day and allowing yourself to be fully present in the moment.
If you should be interrupted,
Let that be part of your practice and flow through it,
Staying alert and calm as you come into this very moment.
While bringing your attention to the breath,
Your mind may wander,
That's what they do.
It's natural of course as your practice grows.
The goal is not to perfectly anchor your attention to the breath,
But rather to focus on the breath and when the mind does wander,
To eventually notice and without judgment,
Note what it wandered to and gently return your attention to the breath,
To the moment,
To you.
The first breathing skill we will practice together is Nadi Shadhana or alternate nostril breathing.
For this practice,
You want to tuck your index and middle finger into the palm of your right hand,
Leaving the thumb,
Ring and pinky fingers extended.
You're going to press your thumb into the right nostril,
Inhaling smoothly through the left nostril to the count of seven.
Then pinching the left nostril closed as well with your ring or pinky finger,
Holding your breath to the count of seven,
Then releasing your thumb and exhaling through the right nostril to the count of seven,
Reversing with each new breath,
Inhaling to seven,
Holding to seven,
Then releasing for seven.
Completing five to 10 rounds for yourself and using this practice to balance the brain hemispheres,
To calm the nervous system,
Support respiratory channels and balance hormones.
Okay,
Let's practice together.
Inhaling one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Holding seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Exhaling one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Inhaling back through that nostril one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven,
Holding seven,
Six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One,
Exhaling one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Again,
Inhaling,
Holding,
Exhale.
One more time,
Inhaling,
Pinching closed,
And letting it go.
Beautiful job.
It will get easier as you practice and find your rhythm.
Next we will practice Ujjayi Pranayama or Ujjayi breath,
Which can be used on its own or in combination with alternate nostril breathing.
For this practice,
You will inhale through the nostrils while contracting the glottis in the back of the throat.
What does that mean,
Right?
Well,
It's sort of a tightening of the throat that produces an ocean sound with your breath.
Really exhaling twice as long as you inhale,
Emphasizing slow,
Smooth,
Audible breaths to boost vitality,
Reduce tension,
And strengthen the lungs.
Okay,
Let's practice together now for three full,
Deep,
Audible breaths.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
That's it.
Breathing to those cool,
Calm waters within you.
And now the last breathing practice that we will explore today is Breath of Fire or Kapalabhati.
This practice uses a forceful exhale and a passive inhale,
Which is meant to become rhythmic and increase in pace as you practice.
Using your stomach muscles to pull back towards your spine on the exhale,
Pushing the air up and out of your lungs,
And then relaxing on the inhale.
Doing this for about 25 to 50 breaths or 30 seconds at a time,
And then repeating three times with a full,
Deep breath in between each set.
Using this practice to energize the nerves,
Soothe sinuses,
And even detoxify the skin.
Okay,
Taking a full,
Deep breath to start.
Inhaling fully.
Inhaling fully one more time.
Beautiful job hanging in there.
This one can be a bit difficult in the beginning,
But however you are able to show up for this practice was the perfect place to start.
To begin exploring these new,
Nourishing tools to enhance your daily life,
Your experience.
Each of these breathing practices providing healing and calming benefits.
Each providing a foundation to build your daily mindfulness practice upon,
Whether used independently or together on any given day.
I recommend 15 minutes of silent meditation daily following your pranayama practice to sit in cool,
Calm,
Quiet awareness of all that is.
Do what you can,
Of course,
And start small if that's what you need.
Be completely open.
Be kind and patient with your progress,
And allow yourself to really sink in.
Just being silent,
Quieting the mind and the body,
Becoming the silent observer of self.
Allowing your prana or life force the opportunity to slow down,
To even out,
To give you the chance to experience all that you really are.
However,
Patience and practice are key.
This is a new skill you are building.
It will take some time,
Usually about two weeks of regular practice to really start to see and feel all the benefits of the work you're doing.
You are worth it,
Dear one.
What better to invest your time in than the relationship you have with yourself,
With your beautiful body,
With the tool that is your mind?
What better skill to develop than one that gives you the ability to control how you experience and move through the world,
Gives you some of your power back.
I've set the timer now for a few minutes of silent meditation.
Allow yourself to really drop in,
Using your breath as an anchor to the present moment,
Gently bringing yourself back when you stray towards thought.
Thank you again for allowing me to play a part in this new journey you've begun for yourself.
A bell will toll at the end of this meditation for you,
But feel free to stay as long as you like in this sweet,
Peaceful place you've found.
Be well,
Sweet soul.
Until we meet again,
Enjoy the silence.
Enjoy the now.
A bell will toll at the end of this meditation for you,
But feel free to stay as long as
