This breathwork practice is designed to expand you into the full capacity of your breathing system using the three-part yogic breath.
This breath divides up the full yogic breath into three parts using simple hand gestures to create and cultivate a deeper mind-body connection.
The first part will be the belly.
So when we begin to activate into the diaphragm,
The belly will expand and contract.
The second part is into the ribs,
Feeling the expansion laterally into the intercostal muscles between the ribs.
And the third part will be breathing into the chest.
So for the first part of the three-part breath,
We'll have our hands resting gently on the belly.
The second part will wrap the hands around the rib cage.
So the four fingers towards the front and the thumb towards the back as if you're putting your hands on your hips,
But just higher up.
If this doesn't work for you,
You can also just gently cup your hands over your ribs.
And then for the third part of the three-part breath,
We'll interlace the hands,
Bringing them to the nape of the neck.
So the elbows will draw towards the back of the room,
Almost as if you are lying on a beach,
But standing up.
And already you'll feel a beautiful stretch into the chest just with this movement.
All right,
Let's begin.
You can do this breathwork practice sitting on a chair,
Sitting on the floor,
Or wherever else feels comfortable for you.
Beginning just by arriving in your space.
Acknowledging yourself for showing up.
Feeling the weight of your sit bones grounded down towards the earth.
And then feeling the crown of the head lifting and drawing up towards the sky.
Feeling that spaciousness in the spine.
Rolling the shoulders up to the ears and releasing them back and down.
Melting any tension you might be holding,
Anything you've carried into the room,
Leaving it at the door.
Finding a comfortable position to rest your hands,
Palms facing upwards in an openness to receive.
Receiving any insights.
Receiving the capacity to expand.
Receiving the medicine of the breath.
And we'll begin by taking three deep breaths together.
So taking a full,
Deep breath in through the nose.
Filling yourself up.
And exhale,
Sighing out,
Releasing through the mouth.
Letting go.
Two more like this.
Inhaling deeply through the nose.
Full expansion.
Exhale,
Full release.
Letting go completely.
Feeling the physical body relaxing.
One more deep,
Expansive breath like this.
Holding the breath at the top.
For three,
Two,
One.
Exhale,
Really letting it go.
Melting completely.
And from here,
Gently sealing the lips and beginning to breathe naturally in and out through the nose.
So we'll begin our practice today just by meeting our natural breath where it's at in this moment.
If you can imagine redirecting your awareness and your attention away from your thoughts,
Away from any distractions around you.
And guiding it completely to the experience and sensation of your natural flow of breath.
Beginning to notice the sensation of the breath as it tickles in through the nose.
And as it brushes out through the nose.
Maybe you can notice the cool air as it flows in.
And the warmer air as it flows out.
Beginning to notice the depth of your breath.
So noticing if it feels a little shallow up into the chest.
Or maybe it feels a little deeper down into the belly.
See if you can really just notice without judgment,
Without trying to change it.
Just being with yourself with a sense of compassionate curiosity.
Following the breath as it flows into the body through the nose.
And out of the body through the nose.
Beginning with our first part of our three part breath.
So resting the hands onto the belly,
Creating that mind-body connection.
As you breathe in now,
Sending the breath deep down into the belly.
So relaxing the belly a lot.
Feeling the palms expanding on the breath in.
And feel the belly contracting on the breath out.
So as you breathe in,
Feel the belly expanding like a balloon beneath the palms of the hands.
And as you exhale,
Feel the belly softly contracting back towards the spine.
So if this isn't happening for you on a physical level,
Or it's only very subtle,
That's completely normal.
If that's you,
I invite you to simply visualize a balloon at your belly.
And each time you breathe in,
You fill that balloon with air.
Feel it expanding in all directions.
And as you exhale,
Feel it softly deflating back towards the spine.
And we'll stay here for five more conscious belly breaths.
One last deep breath here.
Breathing in,
Feeling that expansion.
Holding for a moment.
And releasing through the mouth.
As you rest the hands back onto the thighs or onto the knees.
Palms facing upwards.
Open to receive.
And from here we move into the second part of the three-part breath.
So wrapping the hands around the ribs,
Four fingers towards the front,
Thumb towards the back.
Now as you breathe in,
Imagine or feel or sense into the breath traveling from the base of the belly.
And then feel it expanding out into the ribs.
So feeling the ribs drawing away from one another on the inhale.
And feeling the ribs drawing towards one another,
Releasing on the exhale.
So as you breathe in,
You feel into that lateral expansion of the lungs.
Expanding outwards,
Opening into intercostal muscles between the ribs.
And as you exhale,
Feel for that releasing,
That clearing out of any cobwebs within your being.
Feel the ribs drawing towards one another.
Staying here for five more conscious breaths into the ribs.
And if it feels a little uncomfortable or a little unfamiliar,
That's completely normal.
Just trusting as you breathe,
You're expanding your capacity to receive this life force energy into your body.
And you're expanding your capacity to let go of all that which no longer serves you with each exhale.
Last deep breath in.
Pausing for a moment.
And exhale through the mouth.
Letting it go,
Resting the hands back onto the legs.
Palms face upwards.
Open to receive.
Sitting up nice and tall.
Relaxing the shoulders and just observing.
Noticing how you feel.
Preparing for our third part of our three-part yogic breath.
So interlacing the hands,
Bringing them to the nape of the neck.
Elbows draw towards the back of the room and you'll feel this beautiful stretch in the chest,
In the armpits.
Now as we breathe,
We send the breath from the base of the belly.
And we feel it flowing up through the ribs.
And we feel it blossoming out,
Expanding into the capacity of our chest.
And as we exhale,
Feel for that full flushing out of the whole entire breathing system as the exhale drops all the way back down to the belly.
So as we breathe in,
Feeling that breath traveling up through the base of the belly.
Up through the ribs,
Expanding fully into the chest.
And as you exhale,
Feel for that full detoxification of the whole breathing system.
Exhaling completely.
And we'll stay here for five more conscious breaths.
And as you breathe,
Perhaps you can feel the breath expanding beyond the physical body.
Beyond the elbows,
Above the crown of the head.
Feeling this breath as energy moving in the body.
Let's take one more deep breath together.
Inhaling,
Feeling yourself filling all the way up.
Holding the breath at the top.
Holding in this fullness for three,
Two,
One.
Exhale through the mouth.
Letting it go.
Resting the hands back onto the thighs or onto the knees.
Palms facing upwards.
Open to receive.
And perhaps you can notice a little bit of tingling in the body.
Just observing any shifts in your energy.
Perhaps some emotions,
Some thoughts that have risen up.
And just being with it all.
Allowing the breath to do its work.
As you sit and receive the medicine.
Allowing the natural breath to return.
And if you have the time,
I encourage you to stay in this seat for as long as you can.
Or as long as you like.
Otherwise,
Bringing your hands to meet.
Palms to touch at heart center.
Taking a little moment to anchor in this fullness.
Anchor in this expansion.
As you move into the rest of your day.
Gently bowing the forehead towards the fingertips.
Sealing your practice in.
Thank you for breathing with me.
Namaste.
