Release: That Breath You've Been Holding

Join me for this Yoga Nidra-style meditation where we use the breath as a guide to letting go of anything we've been holding onto! A powerful and peaceful meditation to support your journey of releasing things no longer serving you!
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Transcript

Hey there,

This is Jen with Laughing Lotus Wellness.

Welcome to our meditation practice.

Welcome into our meditation.

Release that breath you've been holding.

Welcome into our meditation.

Release that breath you've been holding.

And finding a really comfortable seat or coming to lie down.

This meditation has a yoga nidra sense to it.

And sometimes in that rotation of consciousness,

It's nicer to be lying down to have that sense of the energy flowing.

I invite you to make any adjustments as needed to your props,

Clothing,

And body.

And beginning to close the eyes or soften the gaze.

And really beginning to tap into the breath.

Dropping into the breath.

Beginning at the present moment.

I invite you today to begin the journey by just tapping into the layers of your being.

Bringing into awareness the layers of your being beginning with that outer layer.

Just noticing that physical layer of the body.

Any physical sensation showing up in your practice today.

And just bringing awareness and that skill of noticing and curiosity to it without any judgment.

Today we're going to practice inviting awareness.

And breathing here.

Even in study,

Inhales and exhales.

And now moving one layer deeper into the space of the mind.

That busy space full of thoughts all day long.

We're wired to be thinkers.

And just bringing awareness to that thought mind.

Thoughts about what you were doing today before you got to meditation,

What you have to do later,

Your tasks you have to do.

And I'm going to invite you to release that.

To honor the thoughts but also to understand that they'll be there when you're done with practice today.

Just noticing that mind and then releasing it away.

Releasing that physical awareness away,

Releasing that mind awareness away.

Moving into the emotional layer,

That rich emotional space of the body.

Just tapping into how that is showing up today.

Bringing awareness to any emotions that are showing up,

Feeling present.

Almost as if from a distance so that we don't get tangled up in it in the thoughts.

We just want to notice,

Bring the awareness and then release.

Notice awareness and release.

And moving inward yet again into that layer of insight,

Wisdom and intuition.

What is showing up in the insight,

Wisdom and intuition for you today?

Noticing what's there,

Bringing the awareness,

Releasing that away.

And moving into that pure consciousness space through all the layers of the being.

Having released that away,

Knowing we can pick up whatever we need when we're done with practice.

Checking in with that life force energy,

The very light in your center.

Allowing that to come forward for your practice.

And that's really the point of all of those releases that we do is to make space,

To show up more fully.

And as we begin our journey today,

We begin with setting in a tone for the practice.

Either creating your own intention or using the same help I've created for our community.

Planting the seed of this thought using my words as sure words if they resonate.

I am grateful to release the breath I've been holding to allow for new and greater ease within my soul,

Which allows me to connect deeply with my life force and step more fully into the present moment.

I am grateful to release the breath I have been holding to allow for new and greater ease within my soul,

Which allows me to connect deeply with my life force and step more fully into the present moment.

I am grateful to release the breath I've been holding to allow for new and greater ease within my soul,

Which allows me to connect deeply with my life force and step fully into the present moment.

And today we begin our journey by placing awareness in the right thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

And fifth finger.

Bringing that light of awareness to the palm and the right hand,

The whole right hand,

The whole right hand.

Breathing on an inhale through the fingertips and into the whole hand,

Exhaling out through the palm.

Breathing in through the fingers and out through the whole palm of the hand.

And as you do so,

Releasing anything you've been holding,

Releasing anything you've been holding on an exhale,

The whole palm of the hand.

Okay,

Now bringing that awareness to the left thumb,

Second finger,

Third finger,

Fourth finger,

And fifth finger.

Bringing awareness to the palm and the whole left hand,

The whole left hand.

Breathing on an inhale through the fingertips and into the whole hand,

Exhaling out through the palm.

And now breathing in and out through the whole palm of the hand,

Steady,

Even,

Fluid breath in and out through the palm of the hand.

As you do so,

Releasing anything you've been holding,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

Breathing in this moment and bringing the breath to the right wrist,

Elbow,

Armpit,

And shoulder,

Healing light of awareness in the whole right arm,

The whole right arm.

Breathing in on an inhale through the palm,

Up the arm and shoulder,

Exhaling as the breath moves through the shoulder,

Arm,

And hand,

Out through the palm.

As you do so,

Releasing anything you've been holding,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

Now breathing in this moment and bringing the breath to the left wrist,

Elbow,

Armpit,

And shoulder,

Healing light of awareness in the whole left arm,

The whole left arm.

Breathing in on an inhale through the left palm,

Up the arm and the shoulder,

Exhaling as the breath moves through the shoulder,

Arm and hand,

Out through the palm,

Sensing the even,

Steady,

Fluid movement of the breath in and out through the palm of the hand.

And as you do so,

Releasing anything you've been holding,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

And bringing awareness now to the breath as we notice the soft space where the throat and chest meet,

Soft space where the chest and throat connect and bring the breath there.

Inhaling and exhaling in that sweet space,

Energizing and activating the heart and throat spaces as you imagine sending the breath outward from that throat space.

Inhaling in through the front of the low throat space,

Filling up the throat and the chest,

Seeing those spaces light up in your mind as you exhale back out through that upper chest and low throat space.

Breathing just like this for a few moments.

Imagine focusing the area that you're breathing in and out of.

And as you do so,

Releasing anything you've been holding,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

Deeper and deeper,

Releasing by the moment,

Using the breath as a vessel to let go.

And taking note here that the breath and healing light of awareness flowing in through the nose,

Into the mouth,

Cheeks,

Jaw,

Eyes and forehead,

All the way up into the crown of the head.

Healing light of awareness and breath flowing on an inhale into the face and crown,

Exhaling back out through the nostrils.

Breathing just like this for a few moments,

Even steady,

Fluid breaths here through the nostrils.

And as you do so,

Releasing anything you've been holding,

Releasing anything you've been holding on the flow of the exhale,

Releasing anything that you've been holding.

And noticing now that the breath is moving from the head and crown,

Flowing down into the heart and torso.

Placing that breath awareness in the chest and heart space,

Really noticing the whole heart and torso.

And imagine inhaling through the heart,

Pulling that breath into the torso and exhaling out through the torso.

Activating this sweet space and in each layer releasing anything you've been holding.

In through that heart,

Out through the torso,

In through the heart,

Out through the torso.

Breathing just like this in an easy,

Fluid,

Steady breath.

Releasing anything that you've been holding on a beautiful exhale,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

Sensing the lightness and clarity,

Bringing the breath of awareness into the low belly,

At the belly button space,

Sensing the healing light of awareness flowing into the belly,

Bringing the awareness of the expansion of the belly as you breathe on an inhale through the belly button.

Just noticing the rise and fall of the belly as you exhale back out through the belly button.

Sensing that breath filling the whole belly as you inhale,

Expanding the belly and exhaling back out through the belly button.

And as you do,

Releasing anything you've been holding,

Releasing anything you've been holding on a beautiful exhale,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

Now placing that breath awareness in the pelvis,

Hips and seat,

The base of our being,

The root of our subtle energy space,

Really feeling the breath and moving,

Expanding the pelvis,

Hips and seat,

Inhaling in through the very base of the spine and filling that root space with healing breath and light,

Exhaling back out through the base of the spine.

In through the base of the spine,

Inhale,

Exhaling out through the base of the spine.

And as you do,

Releasing anything you've been holding,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

On an exhale,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

Now placing the breath and awareness in through the knees.

On an inhale,

Allowing the breath to fill the legs and exhaling back out through the knees.

Inhaling in through the knees,

Expanding the breath to fill the legs,

Exhaling out through the knees.

Breathing just like this now for a few breaths into the knees,

Filling the legs,

Exhaling out through the knees.

As you do,

Release anything you've been holding,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

On an exhale,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

Now bringing that breath of awareness as you inhale through the ankles,

Allowing the breath to fill the feet,

Exhaling back out through the ankles.

Again,

Inhaling,

Filling the feet,

The breath,

And exhaling back out through the ankles.

Sensing the breath and the movement here as it expands and contracts with your even,

Steady and fluid breath.

As you do,

Release anything you've been holding,

Release anything you've been holding.

On that exhale,

Through the ankles,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

Imagining now,

You've released anything you were holding,

Deeply connected to the fluidity and flow of the breath,

Inviting any awareness as you scan the body for residual holding,

And if you notice it,

Bringing the breath to that space.

As you do,

Release anything you've been holding,

Release anything you've been holding.

I invite you now to take a whole body breath.

Imagine the inhale through the layers of your being,

Filling the cells and spaces of your body,

And releasing it out through the whole of the body.

Taking the most even,

Steady,

Fluid breaths here as a whole body,

Present moment,

Mindful breath.

And as you do,

Release anything you've been holding,

Release anything you've been holding.

On an exhale,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

And as you breathe in the whole body here,

Imagine an expanse of light that accompanies the inhale.

Breathing in the light,

And exhaling the light.

As you breathe here,

Taking in this sense of healing light and energy being received,

The warmth,

Joy,

Love and peace,

Clarity,

Spreading through the body with the light of the breath.

Just like this,

Staying here,

Allowing that light to come in on an exhale,

Flow out on an exhale.

Having that sense of light and energy,

Warmth,

Joy,

Love,

Peace,

Clarity,

Spreading through the body with the light of the breath.

And as you do,

Release anything you've been holding,

Releasing anything you've been holding.

Taking in the layers of your being's wisdom,

Softness of receiving the breath,

Of the release that comes with each and every exhale.

How this translates into how we approach our lives.

Giving over to the moments and receiving them on a breath,

Which we can let go and begin again in the next.

And these final moments here are just receiving any healing light of awareness still needed,

Sinking into that place of peace,

Rest and release as you breathe the whole body breath.

And as we did so at the beginning of our practice together,

We return to that sankhapa,

Using my words as your words if they resonate.

I am grateful to release the breath I've been holding,

To allow for new and greater ease within my soul,

Which allows me to connect deeply with my life force and step more fully into the present moment.

I am grateful to release the breath I've been holding,

To allow for new and greater ease within my soul,

Which allows me to connect deeply with my life force and step more fully into the present moment.

I am grateful to release the breath I've been holding,

To allow for new and greater ease within my soul,

Which allows me to connect deeply with my life force and step more fully into the present moment.

And from that space release.

And in this present moment,

I invite you to come and return back to that earth body,

Feeling the sense of the muscles and bones,

The breath flowing in and out.

Paying attention how you're feeling just now,

Noticing the experience of releasing the breath,

Which guides us in releasing expectations,

Things that no longer serve us,

Doubt,

Allowing us to arrive in a place of perfect awareness,

Perfect peace,

Knowing that we can begin again and again in each and every moment.

Bringing awareness to the breath and the body as it expands,

The chest,

Ribs and belly,

Across the back,

Bringing in that vital life force energy,

Feeling so connected to that breath and life force,

Noticing that we can mindfully and lovingly direct this energy.

And beginning to run the thumbs across the ends of the fingertips,

Feeling the awareness,

The fingers and hands,

Wiggling fingers and toes.

You might like to rub your hands together,

Creating some sensation and warmth and placing those on your heart space or your belly,

Or even cupping your eyes with your palms if that feels good.

For a few moments,

Really sensing that physical body.

Taking this time to just revel in the breath and whatever you've been releasing,

Your practice.

And pausing here,

Consider you will take the felt sense of embodying the breath,

The practice of breathing and releasing in each moment.

As we gently close our practice,

I invite you to take this experience of renewal through the present moment and the power of your body and soul to release that innate magic you are wired with and to use that breath to guide you to letting go of that which you may be holding to release into the present moment.

And if it resonates for you,

You might bring your hands to prayer position at the heart center.

As we close our practice,

The breath and release in me honors the breath and release in all of you.

As we release anything we may have been holding to rise up in our innate peace and joy from a place of love and light.

Namaste.