Hello,
Welcome to this restorative journey of three gentle poses paired with three mindful breathwork practices designed to calm the nervous system,
Release stress,
And guide you into deep relaxation.
Gather up some comfy props,
Pillows,
Blocks,
Blankets,
An eye cover,
And a strap if you want to try these poses bound.
Place ear bolster lengthwise behind you so that it is parallel to the long edge of your mat,
Setting yourself up so your tailbone is touching the short end.
If you'd like to use a strap today,
Tie a wide loop in your strap and hold the loop with the tail of your strap facing towards you for easy adjustment.
Place the loop over your head and let it land around your pelvis.
Draw the soles of your feet to touch and open your knees out wide towards the sides of your mat.
For added support,
You may wish to place blocks,
Blankets,
Or pillows underneath your knees.
Take the loop of your strap and place it around the soles of your feet,
Tightening your strap until it's taut and holds you in this shape.
Lie back lengthwise over your bolster and place your arms in any comfortable position.
They can relax by your sides,
Open out into a T-shape,
Or reach over your head.
You may want to place a folded blanket under your head and neck,
Especially if you find that your head is tilting back.
Once you have found your shape that feels completely supportive,
Invite all muscular effort to switch off and allow your body to be fully supported by your props.
Close your eyes.
So,
Let's begin by taking a few moments to simply settle in.
Settle into this moment,
Into this space.
Allow yourself the opportunity to be here.
During this practice,
You're engaging in disengagement,
To let go of the doing.
Allow yourself to unwind into a state of simple being.
Allow yourself to stop.
Let your awareness rest in your natural breath.
Notice where you feel your breath moving in your body.
Even though this is not a traditional meditation pose,
We can still bring the same quality of conscious breath and mindfulness into the practice.
After all,
Meditation is a practice of stopping all of the activity,
So we can come a little closer to that which is essential to being.
When we are stressed or overwhelmed,
Our breath usually speeds up,
Which makes us feel more anxious.
By focused breathing,
We can interrupt this cycle in a way that leaves us naturally feeling calmer,
Less tense,
And more focused.
Let's try a breathwork practice called pursed lip breathing.
Breathe in through your nose for a count of two,
Then purse your lips as if you're blowing out a candle,
And exhale slowly for a count of four.
Keep the exhale gentle and controlled.
Repeat this several times.
Focus on making the exhale twice as long as the inhale.
Breathing in to the count of two,
Breathing out to the count of four.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
And come back to your natural breath whenever you are ready.
I'll leave you here to rest in stillness and let you know when it's time to move into the next pose.
Gently press into your forearms to slowly lift yourself back up to a seat.
Lean forward slightly to release the strap from around you.
Stretch your legs forward in front of you and softly bend one knee at a time.
If you are using a strap,
Loop your legs through it and slide it up to your thighs,
Just above your knees.
Tighten your strap until it's taut and will hold your legs in place when you release your muscular effort.
Place your feet flat on the floor,
Roughly as wide as your mat,
And just let your knees fall together if you're not using a strap,
And slowly lower down onto your back.
Give yourself a hug by crossing your right arm underneath your left.
Soften your shoulders and turn your palms away from your body so that you're not holding anything and can completely soften and release your muscles.
Close your eyes.
Take a few deep,
Full breaths.
Taking this time to really notice your breath and the sensation of breathing.
Breathing is something we always do,
But rarely notice.
Take this time to stop and notice.
Now I invite you to try another breathwork practice,
Box breathing.
Visualize a box where each breath segment represents one side.
Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four as you imagine progressing up the side of the square.
Hold your breath for another four along the top of the square.
Exhale for four as you move down the box.
Then pause for a final count of four to return to the start point.
Let's begin together.
Inhale up,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold across,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale down,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold across,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Back up the side of the box.
Hold.
Exhale down the side of the box.
Hold across the bottom.
Continue for a few rounds,
Focusing on maintaining this even rhythm.
And switching the cross of your arms now.
Come back to your natural breath whenever you are ready.
Allow your mind to settle,
To relax.
Continue to follow your breath.
Simply observing,
Watching,
Noticing the natural flow of your breath.
As you settle more and more deeply into this present moment,
Simply observe,
Notice how it feels to watch as the body rests comfortably.
And let's begin to come out of this shape and move into our final rest.
Draw your knees towards your chest and roll to your side.
Make your way up and remove your strap if you're using one today.
Let's set up for our final pose,
Supported shavasana.
Place some support underneath your knees.
You may want to add a rolled up blanket under your ankles as well,
So that the entire lower legs are supported.
Or a blanket behind your head,
So the neck is fully supported.
You could also try this with your legs bound,
Fastening your strap so it's snug just above your knees.
Relax your arms by your sides,
Rolling your shoulders open so your palms are face up in a gesture of surrender.
Fully soften the weight of your body onto the floor.
Invite the muscles of your face to soften.
Close your eyes.
Our final breath work practice is a 4-7-8 breathing technique.
Begin by breathing in through your nose for a count of 4,
And hold your breath for a count of 7.
Breathe out slowly through your mouth for a count of 8,
Aiming for a gentle,
Complete exhale.
Let's do a few rounds together.
Inhale 2,
3,
4,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
And exhale 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Inhale for 4,
Hold for 7,
Exhale for 8.
Repeat this sequence for around a minute,
Allowing yourself to fully connect with the rhythm of the breath practice.
When this breath work feels complete,
Come back to your natural breath.
As you rest,
You may notice how your mind begins to wander.
Thoughts arise naturally.
Thinking is what our minds do.
Just notice.
When the mind wanders freely,
It takes our attention out of the present moment.
Mindfulness is noticing the wandering mind.
Each time we notice,
We can be grateful for the opportunity to return to a state of mindfulness.
Each time we notice,
We begin again.
We let go.
Mental constructs drift away.
So we can be present to the already happening of now,
Just as it is.
Nothing needs to happen or change.
It is just this.
Our practice is to open into the vastness of the present moment.
The emptiness of being fully present.
When you are ready,
Open your eyes and know that you are here.
Thank you for joining me and creating this space for yourself today.
Even when life feels full,
Taking a few moments to slow down and breathe can change everything.
I hope you're stepping off the mat,
Feeling more centered and at ease.
Take good care of yourself and I'll see you soon.
Thank you.
