Welcome to practice.
Please find a comfortable position that allows you to practice with grace and ease.
Maybe you want to practice in a chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground or you're like me and you want to sit on the floor maybe supported by pillows or on a bolster or leaning against the wall.
When you find your position let's take a moment to take a deep sigh.
So when you're ready you can take a deep inhale through the nose filling up the belly,
Filling up the chest,
Getting really full and then hold for three,
Two,
One,
Exhale.
Maybe allow here a wave of ease to flow through your body.
Maybe softening the forehead,
The jaw,
The shoulders.
Maybe there's also some wiggles in the arms,
The hips or the legs that want to move through.
I know I often have those.
And then in your own time find stillness in your body and in your mind.
Maybe you want to take a moment here to acknowledge that you're doing it,
You're taking time to practice.
That's often the hardest part and you did it.
And maybe if there's an intention that you would like to bring to this practice you can state it three times silently to plant it like a seed.
Allow your focus to shift to your breath.
Notice that you're breathing.
Maybe you can feel the touch of the breath as it enters your nostrils.
Maybe you feel the breath how it gently flows out your nostrils.
Maybe you feel what the air feels like as it travels along the back of your nose.
And maybe you notice the difference in temperature as the exhale travels out along the roof of your nose.
Maybe you notice the story that your breath is telling you today.
Allow your breath to be smooth.
Allow breathing to be easy.
Maybe you feel as you inhale how your navel gently rises.
Maybe you feel how the navel gently sinks back in on the exhale.
Inhale your belly softly expands.
And on the exhale it hugs in.
Allowing yourself maybe to soften with every exhale.
Allowing the breath to be smooth,
Silent,
And easeful.
And with that the mind becomes smooth,
Silent,
And easeful.
If you'd like you can stay here or I'll be offering a count of four.
Feel free to adapt it to your body and rhythm today as we move into this Samadhriti or equalized inhales and exhales.
You can gently exhale through the nose and begin.
Inhale three,
Two,
One.
Exhale three,
Two,
One.
Inhale three,
Two,
One.
Exhale three,
Two,
One.
Continue for one minute.
If you'd like you can stay here or you can envision that the room that you're in is filled with stars.
And maybe there's one star that in particular shifts to the forefront for you today.
Maybe it's also a planet,
The moon,
The sun.
And then envision as your next inhale flows that this star or planet starts gently moving upwards.
And as you exhale it gently moves down.
Allow yourself to let go of this if it doesn't feel supportive.
And you can count your breaths along with the visual flowing.
One minute.
If you'd like you can stay here or move with me into Nadi Shodhana.
Allow yourself to form Vishnu Mudra in your right hand by folding in your index and middle finger.
And gently place your right thumb on your right nostril,
Inhaling through the left.
Close off the left nostril with the right ring finger and exhale through the right nostril by removing the right thumb.
Inhale right,
Closing right,
Opening left.
Exhale.
You can continue in this way or release it for today.
Or I'll offer a count to flow through Nadi Shodhana.
And as always feel free to adapt it to your body and needs today.
And maybe it feels supportive to stay in this star-filled room for this practice.
So when you're ready exhale through the left nostril and then inhale left.
3,
2,
1.
Exhale right.
3,
2,
1.
Inhale right.
3,
2,
1.
Exhale left.
3,
2,
1.
Inhale left.
3,
2,
1.
Exhale right.
3,
2,
1.
Inhale right.
3,
2,
1.
Exhale left.
3,
2,
1.
Continue for one minute in your own counting.
Hand is soft on your nostrils.
Maybe you can even see prana moving like a carpet of skies through your nostrils.
Now wherever you are finish by exhaling through your left nostril,
Completing your cycle.
And then let go of just breathing.
And feel the air moving in and out through both of your nostrils.
Maybe feeling the star-filled room around you and the stars moving through you.
Maybe merging into each other with each breath.
And see if anything comes up as you ask yourself,
What does the wisdom of my inner galaxy of my prana want me to know today?
If you'd like to stay here you can do that.
If you'd like to transition out of this practice you might want to remember your intention once more.
Maybe even stating it three times silently.
And then you can gently start deepening your breath.
Maybe allowing some movements to emerge in the body.
Maybe moving into a big stretch.
And then if you'd like you can place your hands together in front of your heart or on your heart.
Maybe taking a moment to acknowledge the time you took to practice.
You can stay here for as long as you like or in your own time.
Very gently start blinking open your eyes.
Maybe first looking to the ground and then orienting yourself in the room that you're at.
Maybe consciously deciding if there's something from your practice that you want to take with you into your day.
Feel free to take a moment to journal,
To write down the wisdom you've received.
Thank you for practicing.
