Welcome,
Dear friend.
My name is Susan.
And today I'm going to walk you through a form of pranayama called Nadi Shodhana,
Alternating nostril breathing.
This form of breathing is very soothing for the nervous system,
Releases stress and anxiety and greatly improves focus and mental clarity.
To get started,
Let's have you sit with a nice tall spine.
You can sit in a chair or on your mat in a cross-legged position or with the feet flat on the floor.
Let's establish a position where you'll be very comfortable for this meditation and soften and close your eyes and draw your awareness to your breath.
Just feel the easy flow of your natural breath and allow your thoughts to start to slow down.
Just by drawing awareness to your slow breath,
Your mind begins to quiet and you start to feel more centered and calm.
Now take your right hand and just fold the two fingers closest to your thumb in towards your palm.
You'll be using your thumb to close off your right nostril and you'll be using your pinky finger and the one next to it to close off the left nostril.
So now go ahead and raise your right hand and place the two fingers on your left nostril,
Pinching it off,
And take a deep inhale through your right nostril.
Now pinch off your right nostril and take a long exhale through your left nostril,
Continuing to pinch off your right nostril,
Inhale through your left nostril.
Pinch off your left nostril and exhale through your right nostril.
Continuing to pinch off your left nostril,
Inhale through your right nostril.
Pinch off your right nostril and exhale through your left nostril.
Continuing to pinch off your right nostril,
Inhale through your left nostril.
Pinching off your left nostril,
Exhale through your right nostril.
Continuing to pinch off your left nostril,
Inhale through your right nostril.
Pinch off your right nostril and exhale through your left nostril.
Continuing to pinch off your right nostril,
Inhale through your left nostril.
Pinch off your left nostril and exhale through your right nostril.
Now continue on for several more rounds of the alternating nostril breathing.
And ensure that you sit up nice and tall.
It's easy to slump forward when we bring the hands to the face,
But we want to maintain that nice flow of energy.
If for any reason you're congested and this isn't comfortable,
Then you can just visualize the alternating nostril breathing.
Simply focus your awareness on the nostrils,
Imagining that you're closing them off or allowing air to come in and out through the nostril.
One of the reasons this form of breathing is so relaxing is that it requires focused awareness on your breath and also changing the flow of it.
And that really helps to draw your awareness to the present moment and calm your mind.
Let's do one more round of this.
And when you finish,
Just come back to your normal breathing.
You can let your hands relax on your knees or in your lap.
And now I'd like you to visualize breathing just through the right nostril.
Just imagine you're drawing air through only your right nostril and the whole right side of your body.
Just visualize kind of an invisible line dividing your body.
And your right nostril is drawing in breath.
And every pore of your skin on the right side of your body is breathing in and letting go.
You can just visualize those pores expanding and contracting as you draw in that nourishing prana to the whole right side of your body.
And now I invite you to draw your awareness to the left side of your body and breathe the whole left side of the body.
Just visualize that prana coming in through your left nostril and through all the pores of your skin on the left side of your body.
Your whole left side of your body is drawing in breath.
Pores opening to draw it in and contracting to release old energy.
The left side of the body.
And now let's visualize your whole body breathing.
As you inhale,
You're drawing in air through both nostrils and through every pore of your skin in your whole body.
Relish every cell in your body,
Every cell in your whole body with your breath.
Draw breath into your whole body.
And now just come back to your own natural breath.
Bringing some slow movements into your fingers and toes.
And when you feel ready,
Slowly open your eyes,
Allowing yourself to feel replenished and rejuvenated.
Have a beautiful day.
