Breathing To Awake
Breathe to awaken using yogic breathing exercises. This is a natural way to stimulate the mind and body to feel refreshed, calm, and clear. The nervous system is soothed, immune system boosted, and lungs strengthened. Original poetry is read as well.
Transcript
This is Nitya with Nitya Living,
A holistic yoga refuge.
Thank you for joining me today.
This practice is designed to wake you up,
To calm your nervous system,
Soothe any stress or anxiety you may be experiencing,
And prepare you for your day or the rest of your day.
First,
Find yourself seated comfortably with a long spine.
Feel that your shoulders are back,
But comfortable.
Let your eyes close so that the focus can be inward.
If you'd like to join me for three omms,
Feel free to do so.
Taking a deep breath in.
Om.
Om.
Om.
Om.
Feel the vibration of om,
Filling every cell of your body.
Om.
Notice any sounds around you,
Any smells around you.
Notice the sensation of your skin,
How your clothes feel,
What you're sitting on feels like.
Is it a yoga mat?
Is it your bed?
Is it a chair?
Just becoming slowly a witness to yourself in this now moment.
Letting go of all the day is going to be for you.
It's a story yet to be told,
Even with all that might be planned and scheduled.
Taking a deep breath in and exhale slowly.
So we're going to begin with Deerga Swasam three-part breaths.
We're gonna do 10 of these breaths.
So again,
Check the posture,
Shoulders are back,
But relaxed,
And you're looking forward.
Breathe into the abdomen and swell the abdomen like a big balloon.
Lift that breath to your chest and lift it further up to the collarbone,
All through the nose,
Slowly exhale.
Again,
Breathe into the abdomen,
Lift it to the chest,
Up to the collarbone,
Slowly exhale.
Continue with your breathing.
Feel yourself calming down.
The nervous system is soothed by these breaths.
All irritations,
Discomforts are being let go.
This now moment,
Everything is fine.
Everything is fine.
What a relief.
And one more.
And now let's do the Deerga's,
The Kabbalabati Skull Shining Breath.
This is known as bunny breathing in kids yoga.
So this is a diaphragmatic snapping breath.
So it's as if you were saying ha,
Ha,
Ha,
And the diaphragm snaps,
But we're doing it through your nose.
So it's these little puffs coming out the nose and the inhale's automatic.
We're going to do five rounds of 20 short snapping breaths with a three-part breath in between.
Let's begin with a deep inhale and go into the first round.
Big three-part breath,
Second round.
Three-part breath,
Third round.
Big three-part breath.
Fourth round.
Last round.
Exhale,
Big exhale,
Ha.
Three more of those.
Open the mouth,
Ha.
Big release.
Ah,
Last one.
Ah.
Let the breath return to its natural rhythm.
Observe the sensations you're feeling,
Maybe tingling,
Maybe a little lightheaded.
We have just rushed huge amounts of oxygen into the body,
Giving you a sense of alertness,
Awakenness,
Refreshed.
Clearing the nadis,
Opening the sinuses like a yoga cup of coffee.
And as you feel the sense of refreshness,
We're going to now do four bloom breaths,
Locking thumbs,
Inhale,
Arms up.
Exhale,
Swoop arms in a circle,
Bringing hands at the heart to namaste.
Three more times with this breath,
Breathe up.
And exhale,
Hands at the heart.
Three.
Hands at the heart.
Four.
Hands at the heart.
Let yourself smile sweetly.
Relax hands into your lap.
Observe this moment.
Observe this moment.
Checking posture,
Checking the thoughts.
So clear in yourself.
Open,
Open,
This is the really lightening one.
Big computational awareness and so good for your PCB Version.
Now what are we gonna do for today?
Open,
Opening to this day.
So beautiful.
I'm going to read while you are sitting and observing your sweet breath,
An original poem.
Breath inhaled runs like ice through my veins.
Breath a cloud wordless hovering outside my mouth.
Breath prana life force.
We collectively are one breath.
Each day a new sun.
Each sky blooms with stars and clouds.
Each night a new moon.
Each day a blessing.
Each moment a gift.
Each breath breathes us further into this life.
Breath captured in a sudden emotional gasp.
Breath exhaled like a kite stringed sigh.
Breath a beginning and ending repeated as if without end.
Grateful we pause.
Grateful we are aware.
Grateful we embrace this gift,
Most precious,
Right there,
In here,
Within us,
Each and all life.
Cupped,
Contained in a long sequence of exquisite breaths,
Billions of them rolling like a blanket of stars through the universe of our karmic journey,
I am grateful for everyone,
Every breath.
I am grateful for everyone,
Every breath.
Take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.
Deep breath in and exhale slowly.
Deep breath in and exhale slowly.
In this very now moment,
Think to yourself,
What is my affirmation for this day?
What is something that I can tell myself that would give me confidence,
Boost me up,
Make me feel a little more elevated in my mood,
More productive,
Whatever it is that you know you need in this moment.
And as you make this affirmation for yourself,
Maybe write it down on a Post-it.
You might write it in the palm of your hand with fun markers.
Set an alarm for your day,
Like every hour.
You get to look at this message and remind yourself,
I can do it.
I am amazing.
I'm a rock star.
I'm a goddess.
I'm a god.
I'm beautiful.
I am the light of God or the universe.
I am okay.
There's so many wonderful things that we can say to ourselves in the course of our day to give us more of a growth mindset,
Lifting ourselves up and looking around us for the people and the activities that we can engage in that also lift us up instead of maybe checking news or social media,
Things that might bring you down,
Make you fearful or anxious or stressed.
Surround yourself with the most positive world you can create today.
That is your power.
That is your choice.
That is your choice.
Yeah.
Take a deep breath in.
Exhale slowly.
Deep breath in.
Exhale slowly.
So another breath that I like to do during my day when I'm challenged by heavy emotions,
Again,
Stress,
Anxiety,
Feeling overwhelmed.
Maybe you live or work in a situation that's difficult where you get angry and frustrated and,
Yeah,
Life,
Right,
Just life.
So we can stop ourselves in the moment before saying something,
Before reacting,
To pause in a mindful moment and let that feeling,
As uncomfortable and unpleasant as it might feel,
Wash over you,
That you can pause,
Put all that into your hands,
Breathe into your hands,
Squeeze them tightly,
Make real hard fists,
And exhale,
Let it go.
Let it go.
So let's do that right now.
Think to yourself,
What is it that I'm feeling in this moment?
And underneath the hood of all this refreshing breath that we've done in this beautiful pause of meditation,
Of being mindful in your moment of waking up,
What else am I feeling?
Pull it all out.
It's kind of not pleasant,
But there it is,
Right?
And it's so real to look at it.
It's courageous,
Brave.
So we've got it all sitting in our hands.
Maybe you can even feel it in your hands,
The energy of it,
Right?
So breathe in,
Squeeze it,
Squish it,
Oof,
Hold,
Exhale,
Let it go.
Keep going with that.
Breathe in,
Squeeze,
Feel it,
Let it go.
Feel the situation,
The people,
The person.
Maybe it's yourself,
Tangled in this.
Let it go.
Keep going.
You're doing great.
Breathe it,
Feel it,
Squeeze it,
Exhale,
Let go.
Maybe you need some sound with the exhale to really feel the release.
Do what you need to do.
Do what you need to do.
Breathe in.
Beautiful.
You're doing great.
Each exhale,
You can feel yourself calming down.
You can feel yourself coming back to you in this now moment,
Trusting everything is going to be OK.
It really is.
Even if it doesn't look like it right now,
It's going to be.
Because again,
You have more choice and power than you realize.
You're more supported and loved than you could ever know.
Yeah.
It's beautiful.
You breathing in and out this life,
This beautiful gifted life that you have.
And this day,
Each step you take,
Each breath,
Is furthering you on your journey.
And by the end of the day,
You can sit,
Do this whole practice again,
And reflect on what this day was without judgment.
It just was a day.
And there's so much to be grateful for.
But remember,
Pause in those heavy moments and use this squeezing in the hands breath exercise.
It can be a real friend,
A real ally.
Let's take another deep breath in.
We're going to exhale now with a big om.
Om.
May all beings be free from fear and harm.
May we all be happy just the way we are.
May we all be at peace with whatever comes.
And may we all rest gently in the softness of our own hearts.
Namaste.
Be well.
Thank you.
