Hey what is up,
I'm The Downward Dog.
In today's session we're gonna do some box breathing in a new and kind of fun way.
As you can hear we've got somewhat of a street feel to the music today and I want you to embrace that.
I'm gonna ask you to use your imagination later but the most important thing is that you're breathing well through the nostrils and in this box breathing like fashion and all that means is you're breathing in for four,
Holding for four,
Breathing out for four and holding for four.
The music should give you some indication of the rhythm but I'm gonna help you for the first few rounds and then you're on your own so make sure you get to feel what that rhythm is.
It's fairly intuitive but like I say I'm here to help.
Wherever you are get yourself to a comfortable seat,
Sit up nice and tall,
Shoulders back,
Bring the eyes to close and start to breathe in and out through those nostrils.
All right,
Good,
Ready?
Let's do this together.
Wherever you are on your breath cycle breathe out fully now.
Ready?
Let's do this together.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four.
And hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four.
And hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
In,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Out,
Two,
Three,
Four.
And hold,
Two,
Three,
Four.
You got it.
Just keep with that rhythm,
Keep with that breath.
Follow the music,
Follow my cues.
In,
Out,
And hold.
In,
Hold.
Out,
And hold.
All right,
Nice.
All right,
You got it.
So keep with that rhythm,
Keep with those cues,
But now I want you to start getting more involved with the music.
When I hear this music straight away it makes me think of a New York beat and a New York street.
So I want you to imagine yourself strutting down a New York street like a true New Yorker.
I'm walking here,
You know what I mean.
The street in this context is your breath.
The neighborhood around you is everything that's involved in your breath.
So I want you to get to know.
The buildings are the part of your anatomy that are used for breathing,
And the inhabitants of the city are the different parts you're breathing.
The inhaling,
The hold,
The exhaling,
And the other hold.
So I want you to pay attention to each one of the details as you walk around your neighborhood.
Getting to know the streets,
Getting to know the buildings,
Getting to know the buildings,
Getting to know the inhabitants.
Let's start with that inhale.
So keep with that breathing,
Keep that cycle exactly the same,
But I want you to really pay attention for a few rounds just on the inhale.
So let's do that together now.
So as you come across that inhale,
I want you to think,
Who is this geezer?
Firstly,
Where do you meet him?
What is the anatomy around you when you come into contact with that inhale?
Do you feel it in your nostrils,
Your lungs,
Your chest,
Your belly?
Just take a bit of time to think about that,
To feel that.
All right,
Good.
Now let's turn our attention to how that inhale makes you feel.
Warm,
Chilled,
Excited,
Anxious.
No right or wrong.
So I just want you to meet your inhale and get to know it.
All right,
Great.
Let's now move on to the breath hold,
Another citizen of your breath.
Again,
Pay attention the next few rounds.
Where do you meet it?
What information does it convey to you?
Again,
Where in the body do you feel the hold?
Is it in the chest,
The belly,
The throat maybe?
And now paying attention to how the hold makes you feel.
Not everyone's comfortable holding their breath.
Maybe you weren't comfortable and now you are.
Kind of like getting to know a friend,
Right?
You don't know them that well,
You don't like them.
Get to know them,
You're like,
Ah,
That person's sound.
Again,
No right or wrongs here,
Just exploring.
Okay,
Let's move on to that last inhabitant,
Your exhale.
What's this girl saying?
Again,
Where do you cross paths with her?
Where in the body do you feel the exhale the most?
Maybe this time too,
You can focus on what is the path that the exhale takes?
Where does it start?
Where does it finish?
As always,
Checking in now.
How does that exhale make you feel?
Relaxed,
Chilled,
Relieved?
Okay,
Good job.
Now you know the neighborhood pretty well now,
It's time for you to explore on your own.
So if you really have a feeling for this rhythm,
You can get straight to that.
But if you need help,
Then I want you to start to bop your head side to side,
Maybe your shoulders too.
Literally like you're walking down the street.
If you need the rhythm,
It's just left,
Right,
Left,
Right,
Left,
Right.
And you can use this to count your breaths.
So it'll be one,
Two,
Three,
Four,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
All right.
Time for you to try it on your own,
In true New York fashion.
Get out there,
Put on that swagger and enjoy that breathing.
Over to you.
This is your walk.
This is your time.
This is your neighborhood.
Enjoy it.
All right.
That's all we have time for.
I hope you've enjoyed this box breathing break.
It's been a pleasure to take you through it.
A good chance for you to enjoy your breath,
To interact with your breath and also interact with some music while you do it.
A way to find a rhythm,
A way to find some independence of breathing.
I hope you've enjoyed the beat,
The street,
And this New York state of breathing.
Until next time,
Take it easy.
Peace.
