Hey there,
This is Jen with Laughing Lotus Wellness.
Welcome to our meditation practice.
Hello there,
This is Jen.
Welcome to our meditation on flow.
So this is a series based on just trying to live on the wave of life and today is all about our own internal magical rhythms.
And so using those as our own personal GPS system for guiding our way through life.
And today I just wanted to open with a little bit of breath work.
So we are going to be doing Ujjayi breath and otherwise sometimes you'll hear it spoken of as an oceanic breath.
And it is perfect for our setup for today and what we're going to be talking about and doing in our meditation just a little bit.
So Ujjayi breath really is just referencing a small constriction in your throat.
And so for class I was joking it's sort of like a zombie breath a little bit,
Right?
And so initially I just want us to do a couple of those out loud so that you can get the drift of what that sounds like.
And you again can imagine the ocean tide coming in and going out and so your breath is sort of going to mirror that idea.
So I invite you to take a breath in with me.
It's going to sound a little bit like a ahhh but backwards.
So here we go.
Inhaling in.
Exhaling that out.
Inhaling in again.
Exhaling out.
And now I invite you to take that internally.
So what I mean by that is is keeping the mouth closed and just allowing the breath to flow in and out through the nostrils as you do this.
So it's that same idea that gentle constriction and you're just going to do with your mouth closed.
So just a couple of breaths here just like that.
Inhaling in.
Exhaling it out.
Just imagining the sounds of the ocean associated with that breath.
And if at any point you find that you begin to feel light headed or that doesn't feel quite right please always know you can return to your normal fluid.
Inhale and exhale.
I just wanted to introduce this breath as you're practicing here so that you were set up for our meditation today in the event that you would like to be able to use a different kind of breath.
So here we go.
So to begin our journey today I want us to just sink into that Ujjayi breath.
I invite eyes closed or softened gaze.
You don't have to see me to do this.
And what I want you to do is just begin to hear the oceanic quality of that breath.
Inhale and the exhale.
The inhale is like the ocean coming up onto the beach.
Exhale it's flowing back out.
And as you breathe here just sinking and settling into our time together today.
As you practice that ocean breath I invite you to just pay attention for any shifts in your sensations,
Thoughts,
Emotions,
Or feelings inviting all of that to be present today.
Meditation is a sacred space and time.
And so I just invite you to be in tune with yourself the world and the energy of our practice together today.
Always respecting for yourself the body of the day the body of the moment.
And as you take in this oceanic breath today again connecting with the flow the flow of the breath.
Paying attention to the shifts that happen when we shift our breath.
Knowing that at any point if for any reason this makes you feel lightheaded or uncomfortable always just release that breath and come right back to a normal and easy breath pace.
Even in steady inhales and exhales.
We always do breath work with respect for our bodies.
And the breath work should enhance our practice.
So for some reason in a day you begin to settle into a breath and you find that that is for some reason either creating lightheadedness or anxiety we just ease back right out of that.
I invite you to take good care of yourselves today and always in my meditation spaces in my community here.
I spent 20 years treating people with significant trauma and so I try to be mindful about knowing that we're all showing up in different places in our journeys.
And honoring that.
So as you breathe here again maintaining the breath that that feels right for you and if not that's okay releasing.
I wanted to share something from Ashley Leavy who is an incredible Crystal healer and teacher out of Madison Wisconsin.
She is who I did my program through and she had this to say and I thought this was just lovely.
The moon has a powerful effect on the earth from the ebb and flow of the ocean tides to its influence on menstrual cycles and sleep patterns.
But this deep connection with the moon doesn't stop there.
As the moon moves along its orbital path and changes phases the energy of the moon shifts to.
The lunar cycle is often a metaphor for what's happening in our own lives by aligning yourself with the phases of the moon and taking notes of the energies that accompany each you'll find that things begin to flow easier from planning to take action to actualizing what you desire to reflection.
You'll feel in balance with the natural rhythm of the cosmos rather than fighting against the current you can choose to ride the waves of energy in the lunar cycle to create more balance and harmony for yourself and those around you.
Each lunar phase brings with it certain energetic qualities and you can use your crystals to connect with the energy of these phases more profoundly.
So I just love this idea of her sharing the subject around flow in relation to moon phases and that book is called Cosmic Crystals.
And then I just had one more quote from Sarah Gregg's book Find Your Flow.
It's this quote,
Those who flow as life flows know they need no other force by Lao Tzu.
And I thought was a beautiful entry into our meditation and time together today.
So making sure you are very comfortable can release that Ujjayi breath if that's feeling strenuous in any way,
Just releasing that and settling in.
And here let's just together as a community take a few deep belly breaths in.
Audible exhale out.
Two more.
Belly breath in.
Exhale it out.
Last one best breath yet.
Breathing in.
Audible exhale it out.
Allowing that breath,
That beautiful deep inhale and exhale settle us even deeper into our time together here today,
Our meditation.
Inviting in the silence,
The quiet,
The pauses.
And going inward now,
Just checking the state of your mind.
Taking note of what came before this moment today right here now.
Thoughts and feelings and sensations or plans for your day.
And as always I invite you to pack those up in a box sweetly and lovingly with honor and placing them outside your space so that you can be fully present for your practice today.
Kind of finding that fluid flow of breath here,
Just sitting with the flow for a few moments more here.
Releasing any tension across the forehead,
The outsides of the eyes,
The jaw.
Using the tongue from the roof of the mouth if it's there.
Sending some special love and awareness around the shoulders to make sure that our shoulders are relaxed.
Finding any final adjustments as needed to your props,
Clothing and body.
I invite you today to create your own intention or sankalpa for our practice about flow or to borrow mine I created for our community.
I'm grateful to witness my own magical rhythms so that I can more easily ride the flow of life.
I am grateful to witness my own magical rhythms so that I can more easily ride the flow of life.
I am grateful to witness my own magical rhythms so that I can more easily ride the flow of life.
And when that breath is flowing beautifully in and out through your body,
In and out through the nostrils.
In our sacred time in space I invite you to imagine standing on a beach right at the edge of the ocean.
The water slowly lapping up to your toes and receding with a gentle tide.
Now as you stand here watching the ocean roll up to your toes and back out begin to match your breath with the movement of the ocean.
Seeing how you can control the tide with your breath.
You are the guide and you can see how the ocean is responding to your breath here.
Taking you in to your zu-jai-yi breath here if that serves.
You can hear the seagulls and the ocean running over the sand.
Smelling the salt in the air and the sunshine on your crown and shoulders.
Just noticing and honoring your own rhythm here.
And now I invite you to imagine that you take a seat on the beach and release any formal breath here.
Digging your toes into the sand.
It's warm and soft and you just breathe here as you watch the sunset over the ocean.
As the shades turn from coral to pink to purple and indigo.
Seeing the natural rhythm of the day come to a close as you breathe here and take it in.
Just breathing here the easy flow of the breath in and out.
Holding space for the flow of the breath as you see the sunset.
And with the sun there's a fire burning just a few feet away but the night is still full of stars shining and you can see the moon.
Feeling the vibration and energy in the pole of the moon the light of it as it falls on your face.
Knowing that the full moon is a time of deep illumination for our lives.
What is working?
What could use more transformation?
And as you watch the moon slowly begins to disappear sliver at a time until it is the new moon and we become aware that it's the time that we can create and develop new plans,
New dreams.
So we plant the seeds of the things we want to manifest over the next several weeks.
Pausing here to think of the things you might want to grow into.
And to create or manifest for yourself on the flow of the breath here.
Breathing and exhaling.
These natural components of rhythms are reflections of our lives and our being.
When we sense the natural rhythms of life and energy the things around us we can more naturally flow through our journey here.
Be more fully present and living in a place of alignment.
And now I invite you to see in your mind's eye as we transition to a space with a beautiful tree.
You are seated on a bench and facing this incredibly beautiful tree with long reaching branches and a big trunk with many roots running deep into the earth.
Sitting on your bench here imagining your tree and allowing the flow of the breath to come in through the mouth,
Down through the chest,
Down through the rib area,
Down into the belly and back out again.
Just honoring the flow of the breath and the energy of the movement with the breath.
And this aspect of our journey takes place on a summer day and we can feel the heat of the day here the birds singing,
Insects buzzing and see that tree full of luscious green leaves.
You might even spot small animals coming and going around the trees,
Birds landing in the branches and singing.
Perhaps there are flowers growing around the base of the tree and notice for a moment in your body what it is like to just sit in the presence of this summer warmth and seeing the life teeming around you,
Just noticing.
What does it feel like for you to be in the flow on a beautiful summer day?
What is the quality of the energy and the vibration deep within on a glorious summer day?
And as we sit here in the flow of the breath we know that the tree is changing colors,
The colors are full,
Orange,
Yellow,
Red,
Seated on that same bench in an overcast sky day.
Some fluffy white clouds intermittently covering the sun creating shadows as the daylight becomes shorter and feeling that sense of needing to prepare for winter,
Of gathering,
Of a need for greater warmth as we shed our long summer days and move into a time of transition and transformation.
And as you sit here embracing this experience just notice what it is like to be in this season.
As the leaves rain down and you can hear the crunch and see the animals bustling to gather their food,
Just noticing the inner state of your being,
Your own rhythm as you imagine this cool fall day and breathing here with the flow of the breath.
And in the flow of that breath I invite you here to notice the blanket pose.
Right beneath your seat on the bench which is now wrapped around your legs,
Clothed in a heavy sweater or jacket and the tree in front of you is now barren.
You can easily see the bird's nest,
The wood grain and hear the stillness.
Days are shorter.
There is a strong chill and as you sit here on this bench with this beautiful blanket wrapped around your legs creating internal warmth,
The state of the chill,
The snow begins to fall all around you and there is silence,
A quiet discerning time where the urge to hibernate,
Reflect and rest.
Much like the bear,
Your internal rhythm is slowing and becoming quiet,
Reflected in the life in and around the tree.
Just noticing here as you go inward what it is like to be in this beautiful winter state for your own rhythm.
The sensation of winter as we let the breath flow in and out.
And honoring the stillness,
The silence of that season and winter,
We transition now and move into a space where we look up and see that the tree is growing buds.
Right out the ends of the branches,
Budding and sharing their green energy in life as they reach out and up for the sun.
The grass too is beginning to fill in and flowers are peeking up and out of the ground.
Once again the animals are more active and the energy of rebirth is all around.
There are baby birds and nests,
Squirrels running about,
A sense of renewal and of the ability to begin again.
We take in the cool air but feel the sun's warmth and know that the season rhythm is surrounding us.
Pausing here,
Taking a moment to embrace this rhythm and what the flow of this season feels like for you.
And as we move through the seasons,
The natural wonders of the world,
We begin to see the world,
We become aware that each one has its own qualities,
Characteristics and energies.
We too have our own rhythms and energies.
As we take time here to pause and reflect on this,
Considering how we felt in these various rhythms,
Sunrise,
Sunset,
Full moon,
New moon,
Summer,
Fall,
Winter and spring.
Seeing the transformation around us as we transform on the inside of our being and our being.
Using the breath as a guide for the flow of the inhale and the exhale to invite the awareness and the sin of your own rhythms,
What resonates most deeply for you and creates the most profound transformation.
Becoming aware of your own natural and magical rhythms in life as you note your preferences for night or day,
A particular season that resonates for you,
How you feel when you've had a good night's rest,
How you feel in certain people's orbits,
That everything is made of energy and vibration and this too has an influence on our own rhythms.
Making a commitment to yourself here to witness and honor your own magical rhythms in life and connecting this to your inner metronome.
Noting that it is when we step fully into honoring our rhythms that we can really fully embrace the flow of life because we are following our own internal compass.
In your mind,
Seeing yourself living your best and highest good in that very rhythm for a few moments here as you connect with the flow of the breath.
25 maht maintaining the As we close our journey today,
I invite you to make a commitment to your own rhythms and honoring that in your own flow.
And as we breathe together,
I invite you to think in your mind,
Inhaling in I am,
Exhaling living in rhythm.
Inhaling in I am,
Exhaling out living in rhythm.
Inhaling in I am,
Exhaling rhythm and flow.
Inhaling I am,
Exhaling rhythm and flow.
Inhaling I am,
Exhaling living in the rhythm and flow of my own magic.
I'm returning to our sankalpa for our practice today.
I am grateful to witness my own magical rhythm so that I can more easily ride the flow of life.
I am grateful to witness my own magical rhythm so that I can more easily ride with the flow of life.
I am grateful to witness my own magical rhythm so that I can more easily ride the flow of life.
And slowly coming back into your space,
Into your body,
Allowing the body to shift from our journey in rhythm and flow.
Bringing that state with you,
With your breath,
With your journey.
Taking that felt sense of transformation,
Trusting in and recognizing your own internal flow.
Paying attention to how you are feeling right now,
Just noticing.
Paying attention to your breathing and your body.
Your breathing and your body.
Your breath and your body.
The way that your body feels light,
Full of abundance and in a state of flow.
Slowly and gently rubbing the thumbs across the ends of your fingertips.
Wiggling fingers and toes.
Pausing for a final moment here,
Considering how you will take the felt sense of being in touch with your own rhythm and flow out into your life.
What it's like for you to live in that rhythm.
What it's like to be in the presence of others who are living in their flow and their rhythm.
How grounded and rooted in peace they feel.
How rooted and grounded and peaceful we feel.
I invite you to bring your hands to a prayer position at heart center.
That's something that resonates for you.
As we close our practice,
I honor you the magical rhythms in my soul flow.
Honor the magical rhythms in the soul flow in each of you.
Making us one in the flow.
Namaste.
Gently opening the eyes,
Coming back into your space.
This is Jen with Laughing Lotus Wellness.
Blessings love and light until next time.
Namaste.
