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.
Breathwork is a powerful healing tool.
Thanks to technology,
We have access to so many valuable healing methods,
But I honestly can't think of a more accessible healing tool than utilizing our own breath.
It's there for us anytime we need it,
And we can do it anywhere,
Without anyone even noticing.
Today's exercise also happens to be my favorite.
It's my go-to when I'm struggling with insomnia,
Trying to manage my fear of flying,
Or when I'm feeling overly stressed.
The combined benefits of counting,
Which refocuses your attention,
And breathing deeply can help you quickly find a state of calm and deep relaxation.
I have found this version of the 10 count breathing exercise to be the most accessible to my clients over the last five years.
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.
That being said,
Let's get started.
Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down with little to no distractions.
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.
And then you can draw your shoulders down away from your ears.
Allow your face,
Eyes,
And jaw to release and relax.
Release and relax,
You may even want to open and close your jaw a few times.
We tend to clench our jaws and hold a lot of stress here.
Shift your focus to the points of contact between your body and the support beneath you.
Knowing that it's there,
See if you can give your body permission to release and relax a bit more,
Melting into the support,
Letting go of anywhere in the body that's gripping and holding tight.
Start to pay more attention to your breath now,
Breathing normally and naturally through your nose.
Notice,
Without judgment or trying to change anything,
Where in your body you're breathing.
Is your breath in your upper chest,
Middle chest,
Or lower belly?
Pay attention to the quality of your breath as well.
Is it short and shallow or long and slow?
When we're experiencing fear or are in the middle of an argument or heavy traffic on the way to work or gripped by stress and anxiety,
Our breath will tend to get stuck in our upper chest and will be fast,
Short,
And shallow,
Triggering the fight or flight response,
Which puts our body into a state of hypervigilance.
So I'd like for you to see if you can invite your breath to be long and slow way down,
Filling the whole space between your belly button and collarbones.
Place one hand on your lower belly and one on your upper chest,
Feeling the rise and fall of your breath beneath your hands and connecting more deeply to your body.
As you work on allowing your breath to be slower and longer,
You might also observe how your physical and mental body reacts when you shift from short,
Shallow breaths to long,
Deep,
Slow breaths.
Continue to notice your body rise,
Expand,
And lift as you inhale,
And as you exhale,
Notice your body loosen as it releases and relaxes.
You may even notice the temperature of your breath,
The cool air entering the nostrils on your inhale,
And the warm air leaving your nostrils on your exhale.
Just be here for a moment,
Inhaling and exhaling through your nose,
Connecting more deeply to yourself and your sensations as you make space for your breath and the energy it gives life to,
Both inside and outside of your body.
Feel your breath beneath your hands,
Long and slow.
Let's begin by taking one deep breath together,
Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
Good.
Now return to normal breathing,
Inhaling and exhaling through your nose.
For today's practice,
I'd like you to give your thoughts,
Feelings,
And sensations the freedom to come and go without judgment or trying to analyze or change them.
Give your inner voice space to communicate with you.
When thoughts and feelings surface,
Acknowledge them and then let them pass you by.
If physical sensations present themselves like itching,
Tingling,
Restlessness,
Cold,
Warmth,
Etc.
,
Do the same.
Let them come,
Notice them,
And then bring yourself back to your breath and see if your breath can help your body find relaxation and comfort.
If you become lightheaded during this exercise,
Slow your breath down and let them come back to you.
If you become lightheaded 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.
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.
Inhale one.
Exhale two.
Inhale three.
Exhale four.
Inhale five.
Exhale six.
Inhale seven.
Exhale eight.
Inhale nine.
Exhale ten.
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.
Inhale five.
Exhale six.
Inhale seven.
Exhale eight.
Inhale nine.
Exhale ten.
Exhale ten.
Inhale one.
Exhale two.
Inhale three.
Exhale four.
Inhale five.
Exhale six.
Inhale seven.
Exhale eight.
Inhale nine.
Exhale 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.
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.
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.
Take a moment to reflect and check in with yourself by scanning your body from the top of your head all the way down to your toes.
Acknowledge how different you feel now,
Both physically and emotionally,
Than you did when you first started this breathing meditation.
You might feel like a weight has been lifted.
You might feel a great sense of calm and relaxation.
It may feel like you have more control over your body.
You may feel a great sense of calm and relaxation.
It may feel like you have more control over whatever brought you to this meditation to begin with,
Giving you a sense of freedom.
Take some time to 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.
This meditation is accessible to you anytime you need it.
When you feel like life's challenges are too much to handle and are weighing you down.
When you're dealing with stress,
Anxiety,
Depression,
Pain,
Fear,
Insomnia,
Anything,
Come back to this meditation to find relief.
Remember that your breath is with you everywhere you go.
You can access healing no matter where you are.
You are not alone.
Relief and healing are at your fingertips.
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.
