I appreciate you for being here.
My intention with this class is really to help us make that transition between the weekend and the work week because I know also from personal experience that it can be a really difficult and sometimes stressful time when it it doesn't really have to be.
And I think even personally just it'll be really lovely to have this time on the calendar each week just kind of knowing that maybe there are others here as well who are feeling the same way.
So today we're going to practice a technique called belly breathing which is also sometimes known as the diaphragmatic breath.
And the whole idea is to take slow deep inhales that fill up the lungs with air so much so that it feels like the belly is filling up too.
And of course right anatomically we aren't actually breathing into the stomach.
So what happens is when we breathe into our lungs we are expanding the diaphragm which is a muscle located right underneath the lungs.
And then when the diaphragm expands right it pushes down which then naturally causes the stomach to push outwards.
So when we're practicing the belly breath what you might notice is like it'll feel like the chest is filling up and rising and then as the lungs start to get full the diaphragm is going to push out and then the belly will rise.
And then when you exhale the opposite will be true.
So the belly will kind of lower first the diaphragm will return to its normal position and then the chest will lower.
So let's try it out for ourselves.
So find a comfortable position for today you can stay where you are sitting or sometimes with belly breathing it's nice to lie down on your back and so if you need to go off screen off camera that's totally fine.
And let's just take a moment to get settled in to our space.
Feel the length of your spine and close the eyes if you would like to.
And if it feels good you might kind of roll the neck side to side or stretch out the wrists or ankles a couple of times.
Just taking a few moments to get any wiggles out before coming back into stillness.
And today's practice will be about 15 to 20 minutes.
And if at any time you feel like you want to transition to a different position feel free to do so.
So let's just bring our attention to the quality of the breath.
Just checking in at first and noticing how things are right now.
And now we'll bring our attention to the belly.
So if you would like to you can place your hands lightly on your stomach which can help you sort of feel the motion as you inhale and exhale.
On your next inhale slowly breathe in until you feel a natural stopping point as your lungs fill up with air.
And then when you're ready exhale.
Gently let the air flow out of the mouth.
Once more inhale through your nose.
Imagine the breath flowing and filling up the stomach.
There's no rush.
And exhale slow and steady.
Exactly like that.
Inhale.
See if you notice your belly rising up under your hands.
Don't worry if the sensation isn't apparent right away.
It's just something that you can observe.
On your exhale start to draw the belly inwards.
You might make a sighing sound as you release the breath.
And you can just keep going just like that at your own pace for about five more breaths.
Tuning into the cadence of the breath.
The reaction in the body.
Just like an ocean wave coming in and out.
And as you start to feel your body relax into the rhythm of the breath.
You might start to bring your attention to the rest of the body.
How it feels today.
How it's oriented in space.
Top to bottom.
Front and back.
And side to side.
Perhaps scanning slowly from head to toe.
Checking in with each area of the body one by one.
One by one.
You might first bring your attention to the face.
Relaxing the jaw.
Relaxing the tongue.
Letting it rest on the soft palate at the bottom of the mouth.
And then let your attention continue to drift downwards.
Towards the shoulders.
And the upper back.
The middle back.
Letting go of any tension that might be there.
Relaxing the arms by your sides.
Resting your hands in your lap.
Feeling the hips and the sit bones grounded against the surface beneath you.
Letting it be heavy.
And rooted into the earth.
And then lastly,
Notice how it feels in your ankles and your feet.
Letting the entire body rest here in space.
Letting your mind stay exactly where it is.
Right here.
With the sound of my voice.
And your gentle inhales and exhales.
Letting yourself feel the feeling of your body resting right where you are.
Staying open to whatever sensations and feelings come up.
Letting go of any tension.
Knowing that you can always return to the belly breath if that feels right.
And whenever you find that the mind has become active,
And you're thinking about something,
Preparing,
Planning,
Or wandering away,
You can gently bring yourself back.
And see if you can return once more to your slow and steady inhale.
Feeling the belly rise.
And a gentle exhale.
Feeling the belly fall.
And whenever you're ready,
You can come back into the room where you are.
Maybe bringing some gentle movement back into the body.
Slowly,
On your own time,
Blinking open the eyes.
And take as much time as you need before coming back to the screen.
Thank you for being here today.
Really appreciate it.
I always feel so lucky whenever I get to practice with other people.
I hope you have a good rest of your evening and a good week ahead.
Thank you so much.
Have a good night.
You too.
Bye.
