Welcome to your alternate nostril breathing practice.
To begin with,
Make sure that you're sitting comfortably with your spine straight.
And take any support that you need for your comfort.
We're going to begin by bringing the hands into mudras.
So first of all bring your thumb and index finger together on your left hand so that the last three fingers open out.
And place the left hand onto your left thigh with the palm facing upwards.
This is called the chin matra.
With your right hand bring your index and middle finger to your palm so that the thumb and last two fingers are stretching out.
This is the hand that you're going to use to open and close your nostrils.
The thumb will close your right nostril and the fingers will close your left nostril.
Rest your hand on your right thigh to begin with.
If you find that your arm gets tired at any time,
You always have the option to change sides and use your left hand to open and close your nostrils.
And if you have a blocked nose and breathing through the alternate sides is difficult for you.
The alternative is to place your hands on your thighs with the left palm facing up.
And the right palm facing down.
When you're breathing through the left nostril,
Keep the left palm facing up.
And when you're breathing through the right nostril,
Flip your hands so that the right palm faces up and the left hand faces down.
And visualise the breath flowing through the alternate nostrils as you move your hands in this way.
Now close your eyes and prepare to begin.
Bring your awareness to your breath.
And take a moment to tune into your breath.
And how it's flowing right now.
Ease your breath fast or slow.
Is it shallow or deep?
Where does your breath naturally flow to?
Just watch it as it comes in and out.
And as you breathe,
Feel yourself beginning to relax.
Feel any tension from the day releasing from your body.
Notice how naturally your mind is slowing down.
Notice how with every exhalation you feel yourself gently transitioning into another place.
Until you see yourself sitting on a hilltop in nature.
On your right side,
It is daytime.
And this sun shines down onto the right side of your body.
From the clear blue sky above you.
And on your left side,
It is the night time.
And this silver moonlight shines down onto the left side of your body.
As the silver stars twinkle in the night sky above you.
Take some more breaths here.
The daytime on your right.
The night time on your left.
Now take a long deep exhalation,
Feeling all of the old air leaving your lungs.
And take a long complete inhalation,
Breathing in to the tops of your collarbones.
And exhale completely again.
Bring your right hand to your nose and use your thumb to close your right nostril.
Take a breath in through your left nostril.
And now close the left nostril and open the right nostril.
Exhale through the right side.
Keep the right nostril open and inhale through the right side now.
And close the right nostril,
Open the left and exhale through the left nostril.
Inhale through the left side.
Close the left and exhale through the right.
Inhale through the right nostril.
Close the right and exhale through the left.
Inhale through the left.
Exhale through the right.
Inhale through the right.
Exhale through the left.
Continue breathing through alternate nostrils.
Changing sides after every inhalation.
As you breathe,
Remain aware of the night on your left.
And the day time on your right.
See the silver moonlight flowing through your left nostril.
And the golden sunlight flowing through your right nostril.
Maintain awareness of the silver moonlight bathing the left side of your body.
The golden sunlight bathing the right side of your body.
Continue breathing like this for a little bit longer.
And finish with an exhalation through the left nostril.
Then release your hand and bring your breathing back to normal.
Continuing to feel the golden sunlight on your right side.
And this silver moonlight on your left side.
Take a few normal breaths now.
And take a moment to observe any feelings in your body.
Any effects that the practice has had on your mind.
Notice how you're feeling after that alternate nostril breathing practice.
And now very gently bring your awareness back into the room.
Back to the space that you're sitting in.
Become aware of this surface that you're sitting on.
Take one more long deep breath.
And when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
This brings us to the end of the practice.
Thank you for joining me today.
