Exhale 2025: A Year-End Breathwork Journey

Before you rush into the new year, pause. This 20-minute breathwork journey guides you through honoring what was, celebrating who you've become, and releasing what no longer needs to travel with you. Move through grounding belly breath, heart-centered reflection, energizing kapalabhati, connected breath release, and calming box breathing. Leave lighter, clearer, and ready for what's next.

Transcript

Welcome to this sacred end-of-year breathwork journey.

Today we honor all that 2025 has been.

The triumphs,

The trials,

The expected,

The unexpected,

The moments that broke us open,

And the ones that built us back up.

We celebrate what we've become,

And we consciously,

Lovingly release what no longer needs to travel with us into the new year.

Find a comfortable position,

Lying down or seated.

Just align your spine.

You may want a pillow under your knees if you're reclined.

And if you're seated,

Feel free to sit against a wall or in a chair with your feet grounded.

Place one hand over your heart and one hand over your belly,

And just feel the warmth of your own touch.

You showed up.

That's what matters.

Before we begin,

Let's set a simple intention for this practice.

I am ready to honor and release.

I am ready to honor and release.

I am ready to honor and release.

We begin by arriving fully in the body.

This is not about going anywhere.

It's about landing here and now,

In this moment.

Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of four,

Letting your belly rise like a wave.

Pause gently at the top and exhale through your nose for a count of six,

Feeling your belly soften and fall.

Now let's sync up with this breath count together.

Meet me for your inhale in three,

Two,

One.

Inhale,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Pause.

Exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Again.

Inhale,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Pause.

Exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Again.

Inhale,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Pause.

Exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Inhale,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Pause.

Exhale,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Continue this rhythm on your own now.

There's nowhere to rush to.

Each breath is an arrival.

Each exhale is a settling.

With each breath,

You're becoming more present,

More here,

And more grounded in your body,

In this room,

And in this moment at the edge of the ear.

Now we shift into a practice of honoring.

Let's breathe into the heart space,

The seat of memory,

Emotion,

And connection.

So bring both hands over your heart.

Imagine you can breathe directly in and out of your heart center,

As if there were a door that opens with each inhale and closes with each exhale.

Breathing with this swinging door visual at your heart space.

Begin breathing with a slow,

Steady rhythm,

Inhaling for four count,

And now exhaling for four counts.

Let's try this together.

Meet me for your inhale in three,

Two,

One.

Breathe in two,

Three,

Four.

Exhale two,

Three,

Four.

In through the heart two,

Three,

Four.

Out through the heart two,

Three,

Four.

In through the heart two,

Three,

Four.

Out through the heart two,

Three,

Four.

Continue.

We'll journey through reflections of the ear as you continue this breath,

Breathing through the swinging door of the heart,

And simply noticing what arises.

Reflect on your growth this year.

From day one,

January 1st,

2025,

How have you changed?

What did you learn about yourself that you didn't know back in January?

Reflect on a moment of joy this year.

A milestone,

A connection,

A simple moment of beauty that made your heart expand.

Can you let that memory fill your heart space?

Breathe it in and celebrate it.

Reflect on someone that supported you this year.

It could be a friend,

A family member,

A stranger,

A teacher.

Feel gratitude for their presence in your life this year and send them a breath of thanks from your heart to theirs.

Reflect on a challenge that you navigated,

Something that was hard,

Something that asked more of you than you thought you had,

And you're still here,

And you made it through.

Honor your resilience and breathe into your strength as you reflect on this.

As you continue to breathe,

Reflect on a moment of love,

Given or received.

Let that love circulate through your heart,

Warming you from the inside.

Continue breathing through your heart now,

Allowing any other memories from this year,

Images or feelings to arise.

There's nothing to fix or to solve.

Just witness,

Just honor,

Just breathe.

And gently begin to let the reflections fade,

Returning simply to the sensations of your hands at your heart,

The rhythm of your breath,

The warmth in your chest,

And whisper silently to yourself,

Thank you,

2025.

Thank you for all of it.

Now we shift the energy.

We've honored the year,

And part of honoring is celebrating.

This is not quiet reflection.

This is breathing life and vitality and joy into your body.

We celebrate being alive.

We celebrate having made it to this moment.

So as you come into this comfortable seat,

You're not already there.

Sit tall,

Lift through the crown,

And we'll practice a modified Kapalabhati breath.

Short,

Sharp exhales through the nose with passive inhales.

The exhale breath is active,

And the inhale happens naturally.

We pump the belly with each exhale breath.

Place your hands on your belly so you can feel the action,

And let's try a few together slowly.

Start to take sharp exhales through the nose,

Noticing the belly pulls in.

Inhale naturally.

Sharp exhale,

Belly in.

Inhale naturally.

Sharp exhale,

Belly in.

Inhale naturally.

Good.

Now we'll pick up the pace.

About one exhale per second.

We'll do about 20 to 30 breaths.

Ready?

Here we go.

Exhale fully.

Release.

Breathe in fully.

And exhale.

And this time,

Imagine with every exhale,

You are pumping celebration,

Aliveness,

And gratitude through your whole being.

Let's start again.

Breathe in.

Pause.

Breathe in.

Hold the breath in.

Feel that warmth tingling,

That life force.

Exhale completely.

Hold the breath out.

And breathe in naturally.

Exhale naturally.

Feel this brightness,

This shift,

This buzzing,

This aliveness circulating through you.

You don't even need fireworks or champagne.

You have the breath.

Let's go into our final round,

Pumping with the exhale.

And a big breath in.

And sigh it out.

Breathe in.

And let it go.

After the intensity of that release,

We return to structure,

To stability,

To integration.

We'll come into a few rounds of box breathing,

Creating a container for the new spaciousness within you.

Four equal parts.

Inhale,

A hold,

And exhale,

And a hold.

Like four sides of a box.

Like the four seasons.

Like the four directions.

Let's begin.

Breathe in for four counts.

One,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Out,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Again,

In,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Out,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

In,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Out,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

In,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Out,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Continue to breathe just like this,

And imagine you are breathing in fresh energy of the coming year.

Breathing in possibility.

Breathing in renewal.

Breathing in the highest version of yourself.

The holds are moments of stillness,

Where the new can take root.

Trust the pauses.

Trust the silence.

Out,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Hold,

Two,

Three,

Four.

Now,

Inhale a natural full breath,

And bring your hands once more to your heart space.

Feel that steady beat beneath your palms.

This rhythm that has carried you through every moment of 2025,

And will carry you into 2026.

Take one final deep breath in through your nose.

Fill yourself completely with this moment,

With all that you've honored,

Celebrated,

And released today.

Exhale fully.

You have done sacred work.

You have moved energy,

Cleared space,

And prepared yourself for a new chapter.

This is no small thing.

As you return to your day,

Carry with you the truth of what you experienced.

You are resilient.

You are capable of transformation.

You have everything you need within you,

And your breath is always,

Always there to guide you home.

When you're ready,

You can start to deepen your breath,

Wiggling your fingers and toes,

And stretching in any way that feels good.

And if you're lying down,

Roll to one side,

And take a moment there before slowly pressing up to seated.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you for doing the work.

Thank you for showing up for yourself.

Happy New Year.

Reviews

Beautiful send off for 2025, I am so ready for 2026. I connected with letting go of the downs…💐🕊️❤️🎶thank you for sharing.🎉I know I should have saved this one to do on the 31st… I will repeat the meditation 💫