Now,
As we prepare to go into the breath work stage of our practice,
I invite you to become alert and as I guide you through the instructions,
Notice that this is a three-stage practice.
In the first stage of this exercise,
We'll do something called bow breathing,
30 rounds of deep breathing in through the nostrils and out through the mouth.
Just regular breathing,
You're breathing in with relaxation and exhaling with stress,
Pushing it out.
So after the 30 rounds of bow breathing,
I will ask you to exhale and hold.
And we'll do this in three stages.
The first round,
30 seconds.
Second,
60.
Final round,
90.
90 seconds of holding,
You can do it.
Believe me,
Believe this community,
You can do it.
So become very relaxed and then as we.
.
.
More you relax,
The more you're able to go with,
Stay with this flow.
And after the exhaling and holding,
The final step of this exercise would be you inhale and hold for 15 seconds.
So we're going to do three rounds,
30,
60,
90.
And at all times,
Just try to feel into the experience in the body,
How you're feeling right now with these different practices.
And for whatever reason,
If you simply cannot hold,
Don't beat yourself up,
Don't feel guilty,
It's okay,
Exhale,
Let it go and just go into regular breathing while that practice ends and then we'll pick up at the next.
So I want you to now find that posture and let's begin the first round.
I'll do all the counting,
You just do the breathing.
So together,
In through the nostrils,
Out through the mouth.
10 more.
2,
1.
Exhale and hold.
Hold till I tell you,
I'll do the counting,
You just do the holding.
And drop into the experience in the body.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Inhale and hold 15 seconds.
Again,
I'll do the counting,
You just do the holding.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Exhale,
Let it go.
Just one cycle of full deep breath into the belly and out as we prepare to go into the second round.
Again,
30 rounds of bow breathing followed by 60 seconds of exhale and holding followed by 15 seconds of inhale and holding together.
10 more.
Going with the flow,
In with the relaxation,
Out with stress.
3,
2,
1.
Exhale and hold.
60 seconds.
Drop into the feeling of your heartbeat.
Notice.
Feel the blood pulsating through your capillaries reaching every nook and cranny.
Halfway there.
Drop into the sensations of your body.
If you feel your body temperature is rising,
That's okay.
Almost there.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Inhale and hold.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Exhale,
Let it go.
Full cycle of breath in and out as we prepare for the third and the final round of this pranayama.
30 rounds of bow breathing together in through the nostrils,
Out through the mouth.
10 more.
10 more.
10 more.
3,
2,
1.
Exhale and hold.
Last round,
90 seconds.
You can do this.
Feel the sensations at the bottom of your buttocks.
See the point of contact.
Feel where it's making connection with the ground,
The seat,
The floor,
Wherever you're lying down right now.
Squeeze these buttocks.
Hold them for a second and let it go.
Now go into your hamstrings,
Your thighs.
Tighten these muscles.
Hold this while holding your breath and let it go.
Go into the calf muscles.
Tighten,
Squeeze,
Hold and let it go.
Can you go to the soles of your feet?
Tighten,
Hold,
Let it go.
Now come into your belly.
Tighten,
Squeeze.
Take it towards the spine and let it go.
Almost there,
Folks.
Tighten your back,
Tension.
Bring your shoulder blades together and let it go.
Can you make a frown with your face?
Tighten all the muscles in your face.
Squeeze,
Hold.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Inhale and hold.
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Let it go.
You're done.
Excellent.
Go back to regular breathing.
In through the nostrils,
Out through the mouth.
Slightly longer exhale than inhalation as you drop into the experience of how do you feel in your mind right now.
Notice the slower pace of thoughts.
Just with 8 minutes of pranayama.
Notice the ease of your breath.
And notice the lightness that you may be experiencing in your entire body.
Perhaps some tingling sensations.
This is the power of cultivating prana,
The life force.
