Simple Relaxing Breath Awareness With Grounding Vayu Mudra

A simple, soothing breath awareness practice that can be done seated or lying down. No music.

This gentle technique is designed to help guide you into a more relaxed state with ease and softness. By gradually allowing the exhalation to become longer than the inhalation, we encourage the nervous system towards calm and rest.

This is an accessible practice that can be used at any time of day; whether you need a pause, a reset, or simply a moment to reconnect.

We’ll also explore Vayu Mudra, a traditional hand gesture associated with balancing and settling the air element. It is said to help ground subtle energy, life force (prana), and bring a greater sense of steadiness. Hold the mudra gently and allow the hands to remain soft and relaxed.

I’d love to hear how you experience the mudra and the breath practice together, please do let me know in the comments.

Thank you for listening.

Peace

Transcript

Okay, So we're going to practice. Just a little bit of breath awareness. Using the Vayu Mudra hand gesture. So make yourself comfortable whether you're lying down in bed, Whether you're lying back in a chair. Maybe closing down the eyes, Softening the gaze. Just allow yourself to arrive in this moment. That sing sounds around you. Noticing the feeling of the space around you. And whatever surface you're on. Just feel the support. Support beneath you. Holding you and just allow yourself to be held. To soften into that surface. Just take a few sighs, So gently breathing in through the nose without much effort. Maybe sighing out through the mouth. Again, Breathing in and out. And just let go of the breath. Doing one more breath like this and really sinking into that surface that you're on. And just noticing now where you feel your breath connecting to the rhythm and flow of your breath. We're going to practice Vellumudra now, Which is a hand gesture. So your first finger, Your index finger nail, Will come down to the base of the thumb. I'm just going to place the thumb or the base of the thumb over the fingernail. And then relax the rest of the hands. Now relax the last three fingers. Just notice how that feels, Feels for your hands. And notice if it feels any different for your breath. Does your breath feel more expansive? Does it feel freer, Softer? Just noticing, Just being aware of any changes to your breath. And if the breath feels like it's restricted in any way. And just let that hand gesture go. We're going to start to slow down the rhythm of the breath now, Just breathing in through the nose. Maybe breathing out through the nose. Or perhaps choosing to gently breathe out through an imaginary tiny straw. I'm doing that very softly and really feel like you're letting go with the out-breath. Allow your out breath to become longer than your in breath With every exhalation feel yourself sink into more relaxation. More softening, More letting go. And we could count the breaths back. And every exhalation. Counting backwards from 10. So as you exhale, 10. Inhaling and then as you exhale, Nine and so on. And if you should reach zero then start again. But if your mind wanders. Once you notice that it's wounded. We'll start again. So no judgment. No commentary, Just simply starting again at ten. If your mind's wandered, Bring it back to the breath, Back to the couch. And every time you count backwards, Every time you exhale, You're becoming more and more relaxed. Keep focusing on your breath, Keep with the counts. Okay wherever you are with your count we're gonna let that go And let the breath. Just flow easily in and out of your body, Just breathing naturally now. Bring your awareness back to your hands. Notice the feeling of the mudra. And then very slowly we're going to release from the mudra. Just notice any sensation in your hands or any sensations in the rest of your body. Just notice how you're feeling now. Anything's changed And then when you're ready, You can start to maybe wiggle your fingers. You could rotate through the wrists or take any other movement that you wish. And when you feel ready, You can gently open your eyes.