Breathing Gratitude

Take time from your busy day or evening to reset, ground yourself and focus on breathing. While focusing on the breath, we'll explore areas of flow and gratitude. Becoming aware of our thoughts, observing how they make the mind or body feel, and allowing to release them, as we bring the focus and attention back to breathing.

Transcript

Hello and welcome. It is Thursday, April 27th. It is almost 3 30 here on the east coast and I am located in Philadelphia. Coming to you this afternoon with a little reset, A little grounding and some peace of mind. So find a comfortable seat, Whether that is in a chair with the feet placed firmly on the ground or maybe you found a cross-legged position, Maybe sitting on a meditation cushion or a block to elevate the hips. Gently start closing down the eyes here, Allowing the arms to come by the sides, Resting on the lap or maybe off to the sides, Palms facing up in a receiving mode. Go ahead and start closing down the eyes here or maybe taking the gaze softly down to the ground, Sitting up nice and tall, Extending out through the crown of your head. Take a big inhale and exhale through the mouth. Doing this again, Inhale through the nose, Let the air fill up the chest, Let the belly expand and exhale through the mouth, Maybe making it audible, Releasing any tension, Stagnant energy. We'll do this again. Inhale through the nose, Exhaling through the mouth. Gently just start bringing some awareness to the sensations you're currently experiencing wherever you are, Maybe feeling the temperature of the air or tuning into maybe the sounds of birds or animals, Maybe you're seated in a park bench and you're hearing the sounds of traffic. Just gently noticing these sensations and watching them like a river, Watching these sensations and watching your thoughts come in, Gently acknowledging them and letting them pass, Letting them float down the river. I see you, I see you thought creeping in, I hear you and I will let you go. Inhale through the nose, Starting to close the lips now, Exhaling through the nose, Finding a bit more heat in the body through the breath. In our yoga practice, We call this Nudjayi breath, Maybe allowing that sound of air in and out of the nose to sound like an oceanic wave of energy, Of life. Inhale again through the nose, Exhale through the nose, Gently tuning in to where you feel any vibrations in the body, Maybe any tingling, Any warmth. Inhale to these areas, Fill up the belly, Fill up the chest, Exhale, Release, Letting your body get softer, Letting your body be heavy, Letting the bones root down into the ground or the chair. Inhale through the nose, Exhale through the nose, Bringing to mind one person or thing or experience or place that you are grateful for in this moment. Maybe it is simply being in this moment, Giving yourself the time to step away and re-center, Taking this token of gratitude. Inhale with this intention, Exhale with the intention. Maybe if it's a person you are grateful for, Maybe sending them this energy and this love and this gratitude. Inhale, Bringing this person to your mind's eye, Exhale, Sending them gratitude. Maybe it is the room that you are seated in. Inhale the intention of this space, Exhale gratitude for this moment, For this space. Inhaling again and exhaling, Knowing that even a few moments of bringing an intention and gratitude into your daily practice can calm the mind and ground us down back to that present moment as we allow our thoughts to come in and gently flow with the river as we watch them pass, Letting those moments go, Letting those thoughts go, And being grateful for here and now. One more inhale through the nose, This time opening the mouth, Letting it out. As you return to the rest of your day or the rest of your evening, Bringing that gratitude with you, Bringing this into the next step, The next moment of your day, Allowing it to circle through you, Allowing the energy of breath to lift you, Lighten you, And inspire. Until next time, Friends, Have a lovely rest of your Thursday.