Make your way to a comfortable seated position.
This could mean sitting on a chair,
Sitting on the floor,
Sitting with something below your buttocks to elevate the hips.
Hands rested gently on the knees or thighs.
Spine is long and straight.
Take a moment to roll the shoulders up towards the ears and down the back.
One more time,
Rolling the shoulders up towards the ears and down the back.
Shoulders are relaxed,
Arms relaxed,
Whole torso relaxed and supported by the spine and a steady base.
Eyes and lips are gently closed.
Breath flowing freely in and out of the nostrils.
As you breathe in,
Breathe into your belly,
Feeling it expand.
As you breathe out,
Breathe out from the belly,
Feeling your belly contract.
Breathe in to the belly,
Feel it expand.
Breathe out of the belly,
Feel it contract.
You may want to place a hand on your belly to have a felt sense of this motion.
Breathing in,
Feel the belly expand.
Breathing out,
Feel the belly contract.
The next time you breathe into the belly,
Extend the inhalation up to the chest.
As you breathe out,
Breathe out first from the chest and then the belly.
Breathe in,
Belly to chest.
Breathe out,
Chest to belly.
Breathe in,
Belly to chest.
Breathe out,
Chest to belly.
Continue breathing with the full yogic breath.
Breathing in,
Belly to chest.
Pause at the peak.
Feel the fullness of the breath in your lungs,
In your chest.
Breathe out,
Emptying the chest,
Releasing the belly.
Feel the emptiness of the breath.
Breathe in,
Belly to chest.
Pause at the peak and breathe out,
Chest to belly.
Allow your breathing to return to its natural,
Spontaneous rhythm,
Letting go of any manipulation of the breath,
Observing any sensations in the body from full yogic breathing.
Continue breathing naturally while I explain Nawa Sankhya,
The nine count breath.
This is a full breath in and out done to the count of nine.
We breathe into the belly for the count of one,
Breathe into the chest for the count of two,
Hold for the counts of three,
Four,
Five and six.
On the count of seven,
There's a dynamic exhalation from the diaphragm that sounds like this.
And we pause and hold the breath out for the counts of eight and nine.
I'll count you through the first few rounds.
Take a full breath in to begin.
Exhale fully.
Inhale,
Belly one,
Chest two,
Hold,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Exhale,
Seven,
Hold,
Eight,
Nine.
Inhale,
Belly one,
Chest two,
Hold,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Exhale,
Seven,
Hold,
Eight,
Nine.
Inhale,
Belly one,
Chest two,
Hold,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Exhale,
Seven,
Hold,
Eight,
Nine.
Inhale,
Belly one,
Chest two,
Hold,
Four,
Five,
Six.
Exhale,
Seven,
Hold,
Eight,
Nine.
Continue with the practice of nao sankhya with your own count.
Finish the round you're on and do one more.
Letting go of nao sankhya now,
Allow your breathing to return to its natural,
Spontaneous rhythm.
Observe any sensations in the body resulting from this practice.
Make any adjustments to your comfortable seat to prepare for dharana.
Bring your awareness to your breath at the nostrils.
No control or manipulation of the breath.
Just focused awareness as the breath moves in and out of the nostrils.
As you breathe in,
Mentally repeat the mantra,
So.
As you breathe out,
Mentally repeat the mantra,
Hum.
Inhale,
So,
Exhale,
Hum.
Inhale,
So,
Exhale,
Hum.
Focused awareness in the breath of the nostrils with the mantra,
So,
Hum.
If you find your mind has wandered,
Gently bring your awareness back to the breath of the nostrils with the mantra,
So,
Hum.
Focused awareness.
Keep bringing your awareness back to the breath of the nostrils with the mantra,
So,
Hum.
Inhale,
So,
Exhale,
Hum.
Inhale,
So,
Exhale,
Hum.
Letting go now of the mantra,
So,
Hum,
And breath awareness at the nostrils.
Allow your awareness to shift upwards to the space behind the forehead,
The chitta kash or the mind space.
The space where all thoughts,
Feelings,
Patterns or colors are welcome.
Simply observing the projection screen of the mind.
Not getting attached or getting involved,
Just being the silent witness.
Hold on to nothing and hold nothing away.
Letting go of the mind space now.
Bring your awareness back into your body,
Back into the environment around you.
Gently blink your eyelids and take in the space.
Hara om tatsat.
Your practice is now complete.
