Welcome to this guided journey into circular breathing,
A practice of deep connection and expansion.
Find a comfortable place to settle.
If you choose to lie down,
Ensure your neck is gently supported with a small pillow or a folded blanket.
If sitting,
Allow your spine to be upright yet relaxed,
Supported with ease.
The breathing technique we will be using today will require you to breathe strictly through the mouth on both the inhale and the exhale.
To prepare for the meditation,
Take a deep breath in through the mouth,
And as you exhale,
Let out a soft ah sound,
Opening the throat and releasing tension.
Now,
Inhale fully,
Drawing the breath up the back of your body.
At the peak of your inhale,
Pause,
Then sip in just a little more air,
Expanding your capacity.
Then,
Exhale completely,
Pausing at the bottom,
And then pressing out every last bit until you feel empty.
Repeat this breath three times,
Sipping a little extra air on the in-breath and pressing out on the out-breath.
These first few breaths awaken your lungs,
Allowing them to receive more of the life-giving oxygen that nourishes you.
By the third or fourth breath,
You will naturally fill to your fullest and empty with ease.
And now,
Releasing the pauses,
Breathe deeply,
Expanding your belly first.
Though your lungs do not reside there,
Your breath moves in harmony with the body's natural rhythm.
Picture your lungs as a vessel filling from the bottom up.
At the peak of your inhale,
Without holding,
Simply shift and release the breath.
At the base of your exhale,
Shift again and begin anew,
Avoiding all pauses,
Flowing seamlessly between the in-breath and the out-breath.
The rhythm is yours to discover.
There is no need to rush or slow down,
Only to flow without interruption.
As you breathe in this continuous cycle,
Tensions begin to unravel.
Breath by breath,
The holding patterns in your body soften,
Creating space within.
If you find yourself yawning,
Embrace it.
This is your nervous system settling,
A sign of deep relaxation.
Whether this happens now or comes to you more easily over time,
Know that it is a beautiful unfolding.
With practice,
Circular breath brings emotional balance.
In the beginning,
You may notice subtle waves of emotion,
Perhaps a whisper of sadness,
A flicker of frustration,
Or the hum of anxiety.
If anxiety arises,
Gently transition to breathing through your nose,
Allowing the breath to soothe your system.
Mouth breathing in this practice allows for greater oxygen intake,
But is not meant for everyday life.
Rather,
It is a tool for deepening awareness and expansion.
In time,
You may find your thoughts growing quieter,
Your mind clearing like a sky after a storm.
Your breath is the wind that moves the clouds,
Steady and free.
Feel the tenderness of your inhale,
The surrender of your exhale.
Breath is life in motion,
The force that sustains and nourishes you.
Reflect for a moment.
How do you use your energy?
Just as the inhale fills you with vitality,
Your exhale releases that energy into the world.
You cannot give fully unless you are first replenished.
Without this balance,
You may find yourself holding your breath,
Caught between giving and receiving.
But when you breathe naturally,
There is a gentle pause,
A transition between nourishing yourself and sharing your light with others.
Breath and spirit are one,
Intertwined in the language of life.
With our first inhale,
We arrive,
Infused with divine energy.
With our final exhale,
We return,
Completing the cycle in perfect harmony.
Ten minutes a day of this practice of breath can transform you,
Twice a day even more so.
I invite you to make this practice your own,
To breathe with intention,
To honor the gift of life with each inhale and exhale.
You can practice anywhere,
Even amidst the busyness of life.
But when you can,
Allow yourself the stillness to fully receive its benefits.
Breathe now,
Deeply and freely.
Feel the peace within this moment,
Within yourself.
Carry it with you today and always.
You are a being of light,
Of love,
Of breath.
Be safe and be at peace.
