Three Part Breath - 15 mins

The three-part breath, also known as complete breathing, is slow and deep breathing utlizing the whole lung to increase the oxygen supply which, in turn, decreases stress and anxiety levels. Shallow breathing, also known as chest breathing, is when air only enters the upper portion of the lungs- this ineffecive breath is what is most common today. Learning to breathe deeply not only expands your lung capacity and decreases stress, it also helps you develop a relaxed state of awareness.

Transcript

Hello and welcome.

I'm so glad you've taken this time for yourself.

Now let's begin by finding a comfortable seat.

If you're on the floor,

Cross your legs or sit symmetrically.

If you're on a chair,

Uncross your legs and plant your feet firmly into the ground.

Either way,

Adjust so that your seat and your back feel well supported.

Gently rest your hands on your legs,

Palms facing up,

Open to receiving grace.

You have arrived.

Take a deep breath in and exhale the breath.

Now sit peacefully enjoying the stillness in your body.

Our body has the innate capability of restoring itself to its optimal setting and functioning.

However,

The healing and reparations take place only when we are most relaxed or asleep.

The three-part breath offers an opportunity to calm the mind and the body,

Bringing the mind to the present moment and offering the body an increased oxygen supply which helps reduce stress and anxiety and encourages deep relaxation and restoration.

Notice your own body today.

Are you holding on to any tension?

Are there any areas in your body that typically hold tension?

Invite your body to relax.

Imagine areas of tension receiving the message to simply relax.

We'll now move forward by establishing a focal point on the body.

Using your dominant hand,

Raise your thumb and index finger to your mouth.

Place the pads of these two fingers on the inside of your bottom lip,

Generously wetting the pads of these fingers.

Now place the thumb on the tip of one nostril and the index finger on the tip of the other,

Wetting the flesh of your nostrils openings.

Release and breathe in through your nose,

Noticing the sensation of cool air running past your nostrils.

Exhale.

Let's repeat that.

Generously wet the pads of your thumb and index fingers with saliva from your bottom lip and immediately transfer this moisture to the tips of your nostrils.

Inhale through your nose and notice the air rushing in.

Exhale.

These rings at the tip of your nose are now the focal point for this sitting.

With each breath,

Notice the air from the moment it enters your body.

Should your attention wander,

Come back to the beginning of your next breath.

Come back to this entry point.

In fact,

Anytime we wish to come back to the present moment,

Even outside of this activity,

To perhaps put an end or give a break to a busy mind,

We can pinch our nose or we can imagine the entry point of our next breath.

Place both your hands back to your legs,

Palms open to grace,

And perhaps you invite your eyelids to rest closed.

Now to identify the three parts of the breath.

Place your hands on your belly.

This corresponds to the bottom of your lungs.

Slide your hands up to your rib cage.

This corresponds to the middle section of your lungs.

Slide your hands up to your collarbones,

Corresponding with the top of your lungs.

And now replace your hands back to your legs,

Palms facing up.

Take in a deep breath,

Following the breath entering your nose,

And imagining this breath reaching the depths of your lungs that rest just above your belly.

Breathe in a bit more until the middle of your lungs corresponding with your rib cage is full,

And finally a bit more breath to fill the top of your lungs that reach just below your collarbones.

Hold,

And now exhale through the nose,

The air seeping out from the top of your lungs,

Releasing from the bottom of your lungs,

And then release all the air from the bottom of your lungs.

Hold.

This is the three-part breath.

Let's start again.

Begin to inhale and follow the breath as it travels to fill the bottom of your lungs,

The middle of your lungs,

Noticing your rib cage expand to receive the breath,

And now fill up to the top of your lungs,

All the way to your collarbone.

Hold,

And exhale,

Releasing from the collarbone,

Releasing from the rib cage,

Releasing all the air at the bottom of your lungs.

Hold.

And again,

Let's inhale in three parts,

Watching the belly expand to receive the breath at the bottom of the lungs,

Expand your side seams to receive the breath in the middle part of the lungs,

Notice your chest and the bottom of your lungs,

And then exhale as your chest raise as you fill up to the top.

Once you've reached capacity,

Hold,

And then gently allow the air to seep out from the top,

The middle,

And the bottom of the lungs.

Squeeze all the air out and hold.

Continue repeating this cycle at a pace that works well for you while I continue to give a bit more of instruction.

With each inhalation,

Try to take in a bit more breath.

With each exhalation,

Try to match the length of the inhalation so that equal parts of breath are going in and going out.

Try your best to stay with the breath,

Try to stay with the three parts,

But if you notice your mind has wandered,

Don't be hard on yourself.

That's just its tendency.

Just go back to the beginning,

Back to the nostrils,

Follow the breath into the lungs.

You'll do this for a few minutes and I'll chime back in to close this experience.

At the end of your next exhalation,

Release the exercise and sit with your natural breath,

Keeping your eyes closed.

Begin to scan your body from top to bottom,

Noticing any changes.

Perhaps some tension has released.

Bring your attention now to your seat and to the room you occupy,

Noticing any ambient sounds.

Keep your toes a little wiggle,

Move your fingers and when you're ready,

Gently allow your eyes to open.

Raise the corners of your lips up towards your cheeks.

You're smiling.

Well done.

Thank you for dedicating this time to you and your body.

I hope this relaxed feeling carries on with you through the rest of your day or into your sleep.

Wishing you love and peace.

Bye for now.

Reviews

Beautiful background music.

Excellent instructions with a wonderful calming result. Thank you.

Those extra 5 minutes (compared to the 10 minute version of this breathing practice), make a big difference, allowing to enjoy the music and feel even calmer at the end of it. Thank you!🙏

More oxygen is just what I need. I found I have a tendency to hold my breath when I am doing desk work and reading. I suspect that this is one reason my blood pressure is high, even with great whole foods and exercise. I’ve tried both your 15-minute and 10-minute (revised) sessions. Both leave me feeling relaxed, yet energized and balanced.

I really enjoyed this

Really great. Although I am well acquainted with the practice, it’s nice to have such clear instructions to use.

Excellent! What are your thoughts on doing this lying down? In our group setting it is an option to those who feel they need it, and bolsters are offered...thanks!

Clear and very pleasant experience. Enjoyed the time together, thanks. 🙏🙏🙏

I really enjoyed this! I am finding the guided breath meditations very helpful and I’ll do this one again. I also liked the music a lot. Only change would be that you slow the pace of your words. It felt rushed there even though, overall, the meditation did not.

Bueatiful voice. Good trchnique for breathing and very relaxing. So much I feel asleep before the end. I will use again thank you. O m Shanti I

A Great way to fine tune and focus the breath. The music is so beautiful it made my heart smile. Namaste Katia 🙏

Ahhhhhhhh... I loved this so much. Thank you! 🙏💫

This was fantastic. I loved using the wetness of the fingertips to help focus on the nostrils

Starting this session with feelings of sadness, not being accepted, and hurtful word others use to describe me. I end still in tears but peaceful, grounded & knowing I am a sensitive soul that needs more self care to move through this world not bound by others perceptions & thoughts.
Thank you.

Thank you. Wonderful.

Thank you for that 3-part breath exercise ... a rejuvenating way to start my day! 🌟🙏🏼🌟

This was amazing! I loved the 3 part breath practice and opening palms to receive grace. That was my mom's name. Namaste.

Perfect way to start my day. Thank you

Thank you Katia can this meditation be longer?

Excelent music and guidance. Very relaxing raja pranayama.