We're going to begin by lying down in a comfortable position.
Make yourself super comfortable.
The blanket,
The pillows,
The eye mask,
Our cloth drape over your eyes.
Whatever you need to do,
Relax and get super comfortable.
It can be nice to put a pillow beneath your knees as you lie there.
Takes pressure off the psoas.
It's wonderful for releasing tension in the low back.
Create the intention to stay awake for the duration of this practice.
If you do happen to fall asleep,
Just know your body probably needs the rest and thank your body for its wisdom and caring for you today.
Feel your body as it lies on the ground.
Feel the parts of your body that touches the surface you're lying on.
The blanket or your clothing against your skin.
Whatever you can feel against the surface of your body.
Listen to the sounds around you.
Notice what sounds are near and what are far.
Very good.
Begin to notice the breath as it is now.
No judgment here.
Just notice.
Still awareness here.
No need to change or to judge in any way.
Just observing.
Very good.
Let's focus another minute here.
Doing nothing.
Just feeling.
You start to become distracted by a thought.
Just notice the thought and choose to bring your attention back to your breathing.
Notice the distraction and consciously choose to return to the breath.
Just relaxing.
Relaxing into the breath.
Into sensation.
Now begin to lengthen the exhale.
Just a small amount.
Keep it comfortable.
Squeeze it out a little bit.
Consciously increase the inhale through the nose.
Slowly extending the inhale and the exhale.
Feel the length of the inhale through the nose.
Notice the transition into the exhale.
Up the nose.
The transition back.
Inhale.
Just feeling all four stages of the breath.
Bring one hand to your belly and one hand to your heart.
Feel your hand on your belly.
Move out on the in-breath.
Contract in on the exhale.
Just focus on feeling the lower hand move.
Breath.
Hold the breath.
Down.
Down.
Down.
Into the belly.
Expand on the inhale.
Contract on the exhale.
Consciously contract the belly in towards the spine on the exhale.
Breathe in and expand.
Breathe out.
Slightly suck and pull the belly in.
Contract.
We're releasing to expand once again.
Feel the expansion of the belly.
The rib cage move.
Moving out and expand on the inhale.
Contract on the exhale.
Dance and interplay these muscles as you breathe.
The vibrations.
The breath.
Through your body.
If you can,
Expand the exhale.
Lengthen it even more.
Keep it comfortable.
Do what you can do.
Just extend it as long and slow as feels comfortable.
Keep it effortless.
See how you feel as you extend.
Inhale.
Exhale.
If you feel uncomfortable,
Try to relax into that discomfort.
Notice it.
Notice the four phases of breath.
The inhale.
The change to the exhale.
The exhale.
The change to the inhale.
Endless circle of breath.
Then with you,
It's the day you were born.
And will stay with you throughout your life.
The day that you die.
Breath is your constant companion.
Feel it now.
Slow,
Slow.
Slow as is comfortable.
In and out.
Through the nose.
Keep relaxing.
On the exhale.
Feel your body melt.
Down,
Down,
Down.
To the ground.
Like warm honey.
Feel the stress seeping out your muscles.
Start to really focus on the inhale.
The exhale.
Let's slowly count.
Check the rhythm of your breathing.
Breathe in and count slow.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Breathe out and count your exhale.
However long it might be.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Breathe in.
Whatever count is appropriate for your body.
At the end of the inhale.
Hold your breath.
The same number of counts.
Feel the out breath.
Same count as the inhale.
Breathe in and hold.
And out and hold.
Like an equilateral triangle.
The same number of counts for inhale.
Hold.
And exhale.
Whatever feels comfortable for you.
Just a few breaths more here.
Doing really good.
Now let's reverse the breath hold.
This time.
This time.
Breathe in.
Briefly hold to turn the breath around.
Breathe out.
And hold on the exhale.
Try for equal number of seconds.
On the inhale.
The exhale.
And the hold with empty lungs.
At the end of the exhale.
Notice how that feels.
Compared to holding.
After the in breath.
How holding it after the out breath.
Feels different in the body.
Just noticing.
How does that feel for you?
What are you noticing in your mind and your body?
Let's move.
From triangle.
To box breathing.
Whatever count feels best for you.
3,
4,
5,
6.
Whatever is comfortable.
Take a breath in.
Hold the breath for roughly the same amount of time.
And then exhale.
Same kind of time.
And hold.
For roughly the same amount of time.
So each of the 4 phases of breath.
Same length.
They form a box.
Inhale.
In breath hold.
Exhale.
Exhale.
Breath hold.
Comfortable.
Effortless.
As slow as you can comfortably breathe.
Full focus.
On the breath.
Challenge yourself.
To see how much you can notice and feel.
Now.
Let's begin to play with the counts.
Extending some.
Maybe shortening others.
Change the shape of the breath.
Experiment.
And notice.
What feels good in your body.
Today.
At this moment in time.
Create.
A.
Individual 2.
Perfect for you.
Drop the breath holds.
And continue on.
Circular breathing.
Long.
Inhales and exhales.
Notice how it feels.
Now.
A little sigh here.
Sighing sound.
Feel.
The muscles in your throat.
Strict and contract.
As you sigh.
And make the noise.
See.
If you can contract the same muscles.
In the same way.
And make a similar sound.
On the inhale.
Ocean breath.
Slight sound.
Now.
Feel.
The vibrations.
Strict throat muscles.
Around the voice box.
On the inhale.
Exhale.
Tune in.
To see.
How much.
You can relax.
Feel.
Let the vibrations guide you.
Stay in your peace.
And continue.
Smooth.
Don't worry about.
Whether it's quiet or loud.
The same sound quality.
Throughout.
Inhale.
Following the vibrations.
Continue now.
For count.
Inhale.
Hold.
Seven.
Exhale for eight.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Hold.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Eight.
Continuing on for a few minutes here.
If you need to.
Drop the constriction.
Drop the sounds.
Just focus.
On the four.
Seven.
Keep going.
Another minute or so.
Gradually.
Drop the breath hold.
Drop the count.
Take the breath.
No need.
Try to control the breath here.
Simply relax.
Observe.
Feeling into the body.
Noticing.
Mindfully observe the breath.
Drop.
Any effort at all.
No need.
Even observe the breath.
Just be here.
Nothing to do.
Completely effortless.
Gradually.
Bring movement into the body.
Wiggle your fingers.
Or your toes.
Your head from side to side.
Take a conscious breath in.
Move towards sitting.
Sit here.
Observe the body for a moment.
Notice how you feel.
Thank you.
This conscious breath work.
Practice with me today.
Namaste.
