Welcome.
Today we're going to do a soothing pranayama for practice.
So please rest your palms face down on your thighs on your knees,
Whatever feels comfortable.
Make sure you are in a position where your spine is long and can stay elevated during this time.
And just feel the weight of your fingers,
Of your palms on your thighs.
And just feel your body breathing,
The entire body.
Try not to shape the breath just yet.
And notice when you're not shaping what parts of your body is moving,
Where your breath is naturally directed.
Our pranayama today is going to focus on the exhalation.
So our inhales will remain natural,
But without counting them.
The exhale will continue to count and lengthen and eventually hold.
So on your next exhale,
Please exhale to the count of four.
And then again,
Another exhale to the count of four.
And then two exhales to the count of five.
Inhales are natural.
Exhale count to five here.
Letting the arms in the hands rest heavy on your thighs.
And the next two exhales are to the count of six.
And then let's try two exhales to the count of seven.
If at any point,
However,
It feels like it's too much work to try to push for that seven,
Please go to a five or six.
With the intention of creating really a soothing effect,
If we have to force any bit of the breath that will have the opposite effect for you.
And then I'd like to stay with the exhales to the count of eight.
And I'd like to bring the inhale in and keep the inhale just to about a count of four or five.
We're reaching for the exhale to be longer to help to create the soothing,
This comforting effect.
So inhaling to about a count of four,
Exhaling to eight.
Let's do two more cycles just like that.
And then we'll begin suspension holding at the bottom of the exhale.
So we'll keep the breath,
Inhale four,
Exhale eight,
But we'll hold at the bottom of that exhale for one count.
So for one brief second,
Everything stops.
And then if you feel comfortable,
Hold at the bottom of the exhale for two counts.
Just suspending the breath for a couple of moments enjoying the cessation of the mind stuff.
Really relishing in that pause.
Two more cycles just like that.
And then after those two cycles,
Release the effort of counting your breath and let it return to a natural place.
Hopefully a place where the breath is so much more subtle.
The mind has slowed and there's this extreme calming effect in your energy,
In your nervous system.
Place your left hand over your heart,
The right hand over the left.
So just holding the space of your energetic heart,
Bowing your head slightly,
Bowing to the light in your heart.
Namaste.
