Hello and welcome to this anxiety SOS Pranayama meditation.
I'm Natalie and I'm really grateful that you have trusted me today to help you to overcome your anxiety.
I know all about anxiety because I am also an anxiety sufferer and this is a practice that really helps me and so I hope that it will help you too.
So you are likely listening to this recording because you are experiencing anxiety right now.
Please remember that this feeling isn't you.
You don't need to identify with it.
Like all things including emotions it is impermanent and it will pass.
I'm here to help you to bring those feelings back under control with a simple yet powerful Pranayama practice.
The literal translation for Pranayama is energy control.
We control the prana,
Our life force energy,
Through our breath.
When you feel anxious your energy spins out of control,
Your heart rate increases and your breathing becomes erratic.
Pranayama will help you to regain control over your breath and therefore energy bringing you back into a state of balance.
The Pranayama we are going to practice is called Samavriti,
Which means equal movement.
It is also known in English as square breath.
The purpose of this Pranayama is to equalise the four components of the breath.
The inhalation,
The internal retention,
The exhalation and the external retention.
The benefits of doing this are refining and slowing the breath,
Regaining control of the prana flow,
Relaxing the body and focusing and calming the mind and emotions.
Before we begin I'm just going to share a few precautions with you.
Firstly never strain the breath when you're practicing Pranayama.
If something doesn't feel comfortable for you it's perfectly fine to take a rest or modify accordingly.
If you're pregnant you shouldn't hold your breath,
Instead you can practice equalising your inhalation and your exhalation.
If you have high blood pressure,
Lung,
Heart,
Eye or ear problems it's advised not to hold the breath after the inhale.
If you have low blood pressure it's advised not to hold the breath after the exhale.
So I'm just going to explain the practice to you and then I will lead you through some rounds of this powerful Pranayama practice.
So all four parts of the breath will take four counts.
We'll begin with an inhalation for the count of four,
We'll hold on the inhale for the count of four,
We'll exhale for the count of four and we will hold on the exhale for the count of four and then we will repeat and I will guide your breath.
So begin by finding a comfortable sitting position that allows your spine to be straight.
Use a block or cushion to sit on or alternatively sit in a chair.
Rest your hands on your legs or in your lap.
Bring your awareness to your breath,
Even if your breath is erratic right now there are still four parts to your breath.
The inhalation,
The pause,
The exhalation,
The pause.
We are going to make these four parts completely even and balanced.
Breathe through the nose unless that is not possible for you.
Take three deep slow breaths to prepare.
Breathe in filling your abdomen and chest,
Pause for a second and breathe out slowly and with control.
Repeat,
Inhale until your lungs are full,
Pause,
Exhale completely.
One more time,
Inhale to full capacity,
Pause,
Exhale completely.
Now we begin Samavrtti Pranayama.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four.
Last round.
Inhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale two,
Three,
Four,
Hold two,
Three,
Four.
Now just allow your breath to return to normal and explore how you feel in comparison to when you began the practice.
Hopefully you feel calmer,
Your heart rate has slowed and your breathing has returned to normal.
Remember you can use this practice whenever you feel anxiety taking control.
It is easy to do whenever and wherever and a great addition to your anxiety management toolkit.
Just sit with your awareness of your breath and body for a minute more and then we will end the practice with a blessing.
Bring in your palms together at your heart centre.
Bring in your chin to your chest to bow to your heart centre.
Bring in your hands to your forehead.
May you have purity of thought.
To your lips may you have purity of speech and back to your heart centre.
May you have purity in your heart and loving kindness for all beings.
Om Shanti,
Shanti,
Shanti.
May three fold peace be with you.
Namaste.
