Hi,
I'm Jenna,
Owner of The Yogi Nest.
We offer alternative and holistic healing through mindful movement and mindset coaching in Los Angeles and online.
This is my favorite breathing exercise.
I use this to help relieve everything from stress and anxiety to fear to insomnia and more.
In my opinion,
It truly is the most versatile breathing exercise I use.
And it's accessible anywhere and at any level of experience.
It's called 10 count breathing.
I've been teaching this version of the exercise for five years and have found it to be the most accessible for all skill levels.
You'll be inhaling and exhaling through your nose,
Counting your inhale as one,
Exhale as two,
And so on and so forth until you reach 10.
And then we'll start all over again at one for several rounds.
I'll guide you through it every step of the way.
The thing I love about this exercise is that it can quickly pull you back into the present moment,
Which is especially helpful if you're experiencing stress and anxiety.
The combined benefits of counting,
Which refocuses your attention,
And breathing deeply,
Which has endless health benefits,
Can calm the body in a way I've never experienced before.
It's helped me manage everything from insomnia to my fear of flying.
So let's go ahead and find a comfortable place to sit or lie down and get started.
Whether you're sitting or lying down,
Make sure your spine is straight,
Allowing for air to easily flow in and out of your lungs.
You may close your eyes if that feels safe.
If not,
You may gaze down at the tip of your nose or focus on a fixed spot on a wall,
Floor,
Or even the palms of your hands.
Draw your shoulders down away from your ears.
Allow your face,
Eyes,
And jaw to release and relax.
Be aware of the points of contact between your body and the support beneath you.
Knowing that it's there,
See if you can allow your body to release a bit more.
You may feel a little bit of a melt into that support and fully letting go.
It's often uncommon for our breath to live predominantly in the upper chest and for that breath to be short and shallow,
Especially if we're experiencing stress and anxiety or fear and uncomfortable thoughts or sensations.
Be aware of the points of contact between your body and the support beneath you.
Be aware of the points of contact between your body and the support beneath you.
Be aware of the points of contact between your body and the support beneath you.
As you work on inviting your breath to be slower and longer,
Observe the shift in your physical and mental body as you move from short,
Shallow breaths to long,
Deep,
Slow breaths.
Start by taking one deep breath together,
Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
Now return to normal breathing,
Inhaling and exhaling through your nose.
If you become light headed during this exercise,
Slow your breath down or come back to your normal breathing pattern until it passes.
Then jump back in and continue to breathe as I count.
If you wander off,
And your thoughts are racing,
Or you've lost count.
Just come back to the sound of my voice and continue to count with me.
As you breathe,
Be conscious of physical and mental sensations without judgment,
Or trying to change them.
Notice yourself becoming more and more relaxed,
The longer you breathe,
And allow your breath to be long and slow.
Let's begin counting,
Starting on an inhale.
Inhale one.
Exhale two.
Inhale three.
Exhale four.
Inhale five.
Exhale six.
Inhale seven.
Exhale eight.
Inhale nine.
Exhale ten.
Inhale one.
Exhale two.
Inhale three.
Exhale four.
Inhale five.
Exhale six.
Inhale seven.
Exhale eight.
Inhale nine.
Exhale ten.
Inhale one.
Exhale two.
Inhale three.
Exhale four.
Inhale five.
Exhale six.
Inhale seven.
Exhale eight.
Inhale nine.
Exhale ten.
Inhale one.
Exhale two.
Inhale three.
Exhale four.
Inhale five.
Exhale six.
Inhale seven.
Exhale eight.
Inhale nine.
Exhale ten.
Inhale one.
Exhale two.
Inhale three.
Exhale four.
Inhale five.
Exhale six.
Inhale seven.
Exhale eight.
Inhale nine.
Exhale ten.
Inhale one.
Exhale two.
Inhale three.
Exhale four.
Inhale five.
Exhale six.
Inhale seven.
Exhale eight.
Inhale nine.
Exhale ten.
Good.
Now return to normal breathing.
Inhaling and exhaling through your nose.
I like to end meditations by scanning the body from the top of the head all the way down to the toes.
As you do this,
I want you to notice how different you feel now,
Both physically and emotionally,
Than you did when you first started this meditation.
Notice how much more calm and relaxed you feel.
It's like your body and mind have just fully let go.
Observe the shift in your thoughts,
Feelings,
Emotions,
And sensations.
You can begin to bring some small movements back into your fingers and toes.
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes or drift off to sleep.
Come back to this meditation when you're feeling stressed or anxious,
If you're struggling with insomnia,
Are gripped by fears and worries,
Or if you just need to relax and get more grounded and centered.
The most important thing to remember when you're feeling stuck or alone is that your breath is with you always,
Everywhere you go.
It's accessible to you anytime you need it,
And it's an incredibly powerful healing tool.
Please let me know how this meditation went for you or ask me any questions that came up for you during this practice.
I also welcome any and all meditation requests.
I'm here to help.
Take care.
