Navel Center Breath - Akunchana Prasarana (8min)

A guided practice of Akunchana Prasarana, a yogic technique focusing on the navel center. We work in table position using squeeze and release movements to engage the core and activate subtle energy. This practice supports vitality and inner strength. Suitable for those with prior yoga experience.

Transcript

Hey friends, Welcome to the practice. Today we're going to work with a special practice called akuncana prasarna. It's a practice that's done here at the navel center. The yogis call this area the pranic center or the pranic hub of the body. The navel center, If you find your belly button, It's going to be a little bit below. It's about two or three fingers below the belly button. That's going to bring you to your lowest part of your abdomen. This is the navel center. With this practice, We are working to enliven, Wake up, And connect more fully to this power center. The result is more vitality, More inner strength, More confidence and courage to really move out into our life, Our day, Our world, And be the most effective version of ourselves. Akuncana prasarna, It's a Sanskrit word, So akuncana, Which can be translated as squeeze, And prasarna, Which can be translated as release. Squeeze and release. When we say squeeze, It's a little bit different than going to the gym and working out the muscles and clenching as super hard as you possibly can. We don't want to do that. When we talk about squeeze, It's more of an engagement. There's an engage, There's activation in the muscle without creating any tension, And then on the release, We just release. There's an activation and there's a softening. We do that right here at the navel. We're drawing in as we exhale, And we're releasing as we inhale. Exhale in, Inhale, Release. So there's two primary positions for doing the practice. Today we're going to do it in table position, Hands and knees, Which is a really nice, Really accessible option. The other version is more of a standing posture, And I'll show that to you in another video. But for now, Let's make our way down and we'll work with akuncana prasarna. So, Nice table position, Spread through the fingers so you're nice and supported through the hands and through the knees. You're going to close your eyes, Just start with a neutral spine. Aside from the physical movement, The physical practice, The other part of this practice is using our awareness to help to guide the flow of energy, The flow of prana. So with your eyes closed, You're going to bring your awareness to your navel. The yogis say that where our attention goes, That's where the energy flows. So on a very subtle level, We're also helping to guide this very powerful prana shakti, This life force energy. So awareness is at the navel. And then as you exhale, You're going to draw your navel in toward your spine. And as you inhale, You relax. Exhale, Draw in. Inhale, Relax. We're just going to continue like that. And you're going to naturally perhaps notice that your lower spine moves a little bit as well. So as you exhale, Your pelvis tilts, Sort of gently tucking the tailbone. You're drawing the navel in and up. And as you inhale, You're releasing as your pelvis moves in the opposite direction. Exhale, Drawing in and up. Inhale, Relax. Good. Work at your own pace. Just keep your subtle awareness at the navel. Keep engaging on the exhale. Keep relaxing on the inhale. And if this feels good, You can start to churn this area a little bit more. Perhaps doing just very small circles with the hips. Still maintaining the engagement, The drawing in on the exhale. And the release on the inhale. But only if that adds to the experience. It's not necessary. And they say that what resides here is the element of fire. So as we churn, We're fanning the flames of our digestive fire. Which has an impact on our physical digestion of food. And also on a more subtle level, We're able to digest our life experience. Thoughts, Emotions. We're able to just move a little bit more gracefully through our life. A few more rounds. Totally normal too if you start to sense that you're increasing in body temperature. Because we're working with the element of fire. Tapping more fully into that intelligence, That wisdom that resides at the very core of our being. When you feel ready, You're going to just come back to a neutral spine. You can stay there if it feels good. You can bring your knees closer together. Maybe sit back on your heels or take a comfortable seated posture. Just find a few moments of stillness. If you'd like, You can bring your hands together in prayer and bow the head. Honoring that inner wisdom. That prana shakti, That life-giving force that's flowing through every cell of the body. And as the yogis say, Flowing through the entire universe, All of creation. Namaste.