This is a short meditation and pranayama practice.
That we'll use to ground and center ourselves and provide a segue into this beautiful visualization where we.
.
.
Stitch together all the good memories of the past year.
And use it as a way to nourish ourselves and to usher in that those feelings and positive experiences and emotions into the new year.
And the Pranayama technique we're going to use is alternate nostril breathing or Nadi Shodhana.
And this is where we fold the right forefinger and middle finger down towards the palm.
And we place the right thumb onto our right nostril and then the ring and the pinky finger under the left nostril.
And then we alternately open and close each side.
I'll guide you through it and it'll end in this beautiful meditation.
Which is really one of the most prized.
Of all the yogic techniques.
Because it helps to still our minds.
So let's get started.
I invite you to find a position,
A posture that's comfortable.
Where you feel relaxed.
Yet at ease.
You might want to prop yourself up on a cushion like I've done,
Or you can use a chair.
And if you're in a chair,
Just make sure your feet are flat on the floor and that the back of the chair isn't interfering with your ability to breathe.
And let's just come into stillness.
And you might begin to do that by closing your eyes or softening your gaze.
And breathing in and out through the nostrils.
As we collect our attention with the breath.
And you might start by breathing in.
And letting your spine rise up towards the sky.
And then as you breathe out,
You might want to just let the shoulders drop down away from the ears.
And feel your sit bones rooting to the earth.
Collecting our attention and gathering here together.
Using the breath.
And you might start to deepen the breath.
Perhaps counting in for five mentally.
Bringing vitality and energy into your body.
And then breathing out for a count of five.
Releasing any tension or strain.
Allowing the breath to just gently be received as it comes in the nostrils.
And then relaxing as it goes.
Leaves the nostrils.
Breathing in some full,
Smooth,
Even breaths.
And then breathing out.
Releasing any tension or strain.
Just a few rounds here on your eyes.
At your own pace.
Now we're going to.
.
.
Start the Nadi Shodhana.
And so,
Breathing.
And folding our forefinger and middle finger down towards our palm as I mentioned.
And bringing up that right thumb to the right nostril and the ring and pinky on the left side.
And then just exhale out the mouth.
And then as you inhale through the left,
Block the right nostril.
Breathing in the left nostril.
Close and close both.
And then keep the left closed as you breathe out the right nostril.
Breathing in the right.
Long,
Slow,
Smooth breath.
Hold and block both nostrils.
And then gently breathing out the left side.
And then breathing in the lift.
Hold and block both.
And breathe out the right.
Keeping your in-breath and out-breath the same length.
Using that same pattern of in for five.
And then out for five.
As you breathe in,
Just feel or sense.
Awareness or prana also riding on the breath.
Breathing out,
Seeing an exit at the right side.
Breathe in the right side,
See or feel energy.
Attention come in the right side of the brain.
And then gently travel out the left hand side.
You might imagine the prana as light of vitality coming into the body.
And then exiting out the other side of the brain.
A few paces,
A few rounds here at your own pace.
This practice is beautiful for soothing the nervous system.
Balancing the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
And getting the prana aligned and feeling vital.
One more complete round at your own pace.
When you've completed your last round by exhaling out the left nostril.
You can just gently lower your arm down to your knee again.
Keeping your eyes closed or your gaze softened.
Just.
.
.
Coming back to the breath and noticing.
Any changes.
Any sensations?
Maybe there's a little more tingling,
Aliveness.
Maybe there's not.
Whatever's here,
Just meeting it with your own kind,
Gentle attention.
Noticing the moods,
The states of the heart.
Receiving everything with your own kind.
Gentle attention.
You might sense your eyebrows are soft.
Let the forehead be smooth.
Relaxing your jaw.
Maybe sensing just the slightest smile.
Even your mouth just mentally smiling.
Softening your heart.
Your shoulders,
Your arms.
Letting this breath be received in a softening belly.
This one.
And then this one.
Relaxing your hips and your legs.
And then widening the lens and just feeling it all at once.
This body,
This field of aliveness.
And as you align yourself here.
Feeling scented and calm.
I invite you to look back over the past year.
And remember the times where you felt most at ease.
Where you felt most calm.
Most joyful.
Where you felt a sense of vitality and joy.
What were the smells?
What were you seeing?
What were you feeling?
Who are you with?
Just looking back over the year.
And remembering when you felt most aligned with your highest self.
With the best version of you.
What was the view that you could see?
Now,
Was there a particular smell that just.
.
.
Brings you back to a sense of wholeness and joy.
And then just stitching all those memories together.
And a beautiful way to log it in as a muscle memory.
Is to now just tap on the little soft piece between your thumbs.
Thumb and your forefinger on your left hand.
I invite you just to tap it with your right forefinger.
And just log it in.
Log in these memories,
The loved ones you are with.
The beautiful views or experiences.
The ordinary moments that just filled you with peace and wonder.
Just logging it all in and just gently tapping your hand.
Making this a practice that you can come back to.
No matter where you are.
Where you can remember that sense of completeness.
Fulfillment and joy.
Just storing it here.
Just tapping a couple more moments.
Then when you're ready you can just lower your hands down to your knees.
Tip your chin.
Maybe letting your.
Mouth just turn into the slightest smile or mentally smiling.
Deepen down towards your heart.
Just feeling a sense of gratitude.
For all the love and presence and kindness that you brought.
Into the world this past year.
And even though there were difficult times and challenging times as well.
We can be really intentional about what we want to carry forward with us.
What we want to bring into the new year.
And we can remember this sense of alignment and peace.
And carry it with us wherever we go.
When you're ready,
You can just gently.
.
.
Open your eyes,
Find a soft gaze point and let it land.
Just start to rub your hands together and create a little bit of heat.
It's a really lovely way to come back.
And then just place your hands wherever your body most needs this vitality.
Is remembering.
Might be under your face.
It might be onto your heart or your belly.
Just.
.
.
Sensing what it feels like to receive your own kindness.
Your own healing.
Your own gentle attention.
When you're ready,
You can just ease back.
And the invitation now is just to take two or three minutes just to grab a journal or a book.
And just write down what you notice.
Right down.
What you want to remember from this experience.
That will help you to carry it forward.
May this nourish you and uplift you and carry you into the new year.
Lots of love and blessings.
