Today we're going to do a simple pranayama practice that is very accessible for most practitioners new and seasoned alike.
It's called Sama Vritti,
This same or equal breath.
It provides an opportunity to de-stress,
To find calm and presence.
You can do this practice wherever you like,
Whether you want to be seated,
Lying down against a wall,
Really anywhere that is comfortable for you and accessible at this time.
Finding your way into that comfortable position,
Whatever it is for you,
Adjust as you need or if there's any props that you need or anything to make you feel comfortable.
Once you're settled in,
Allow your eyes to close about halfway or all the way if that feels right for you.
Option to let your hands rest gently on your belly and begin by bringing your attention to your breath.
Just notice and observe here.
Perhaps you notice the length of your inhale and your exhale,
The temperature of your breath as it goes in and out of the body,
Where the breath enters and exits,
Where you feel the breath in the body or not,
And noticing if your breath feels shallow or deep.
Does it feel forced or is it flowing freely?
If you haven't already,
Try gently closing your lips and breathing through your nostrils.
Staying aware of your breath like before,
But now begin to shift some of your focus to your belly.
Notice if there's any movement there as you breathe and as you take your next breath in,
Direct the breath into where your hands are resting on your belly,
Allowing your belly to expand like a balloon filling with air.
You can give this a few rounds,
A few tries.
It may take a few times to get the hang of this,
Directing your breath into your belly,
Expanding it like a balloon.
As you exhale,
Try letting your belly empty,
Deflating like a balloon,
Releasing its air.
As you inhale,
Let the belly expand as full as possible,
And as you exhale,
Let the belly empty of breath completely.
Once you get the hang of this movement of breath into the belly,
Bring your awareness to your inhale and exhale.
Next,
Begin to lengthen and even out the breath.
The inhale and exhale are the same length as one another.
See if you can stretch the breath out to a count of four on the inhale and a count of four on the exhale.
This may help keep your focus present and ensure a balanced breath.
Continue this breath and counting if it suits you.
If you'd like and you haven't already,
You can rest your hands down in your lap or onto your knees.
Continuing with this same equal steady breath.
Now,
When you're ready to release,
Take a few easy breaths,
Releasing your counting and just settling back in towards a more natural pattern to your breath.
Notice if there are any changes or shifts in body and mind.
There's no wrong or right answers here.
Just noticing what has come up for you.
When you're ready,
Slowly blinking open your eyes and bringing your focus back into the space that you are in.
Thank you for joining me today.
