Take a few moments to get settled into your most comfortable seat and that might mean that you're moving and going to your most comfortable chair or that you're leaning back against your couch.
Maybe you decide to sit on the floor on your meditation cushion.
There is no rush to get settled.
Find a few moments maybe fidgeting and moving until you can start to guide yourself to stillness.
And once you start to land and arrive,
Notice yourself in the space you're in.
If you'd like you can gently close your eyes or maybe find a point to gaze at softly on the floor.
Let your energy start to land or notice maybe the underlying restlessness that is present without judging it.
And as you land here,
Start to bring awareness to your belly rising and gently deflating.
The gentle rise on the inhale and the slow effortless retraction on the exhale.
Let yourself be the witness of this movement without forcing any of it.
And as you watch your breath you might start to gently manipulate it so that it becomes a little more even.
You might gently count to four or five or six on the inhale and then find the same count on the exhale.
If you notice at any point the count being effortful or the breath becoming strained,
Give yourself the permission to go down in your count.
Let your breath be low and wide.
We'll be here a few moments.
There is no rush to access anything,
To reach any level of mastery.
Let yourself be a gentle witness of this breath slowly expanding,
Becoming smoother,
More relaxed.
You might notice the sense of relief of sinking in and down as you let go of any effort.
Let the breath do its thing.
You don't need to control or manipulate it beyond reason.
In fact you might notice that as you soften the tension of your control,
The breath naturally expands.
It naturally deepens.
It spreads through your body with more ease.
Give yourself a few more moments here.
You might have let go of the count.
If you're still counting gently let it go.
From here we'll transition to Nadi Shodhana and we'll find a mudra in the hands.
The right hand you'll fold your second and third fingers to the base of your thumb.
This is called Vishnu Mudra.
You'll gently bring your hand towards your face.
You can keep your eyes closed here and find a breath in through both nostrils.
On the exhale close your right nostril with your thumb and exhale just through the left nostril.
Then inhale only through the left nostril.
Then release your right nostril and close the left with your fourth finger.
Exhale through the right.
Keep the hands.
Inhale through the right.
Then switch.
Close your right nostril and exhale through the left.
Inhale through the left nostril.
Then close your left nostril.
Exhale through the right.
Inhale through the right nostril.
Close the right nostril.
Exhale through the left.
Inhale left.
Exhale right.
Inhale right.
Exhale left.
Inhale left.
See if you can slow it down.
Keep the breath really smooth and steady.
Exhale right.
Inhale right.
Exhale left.
Keep going at your own pace.
You're always inhaling where you just exhaled and if you lose track of where you are that's okay.
You can just pick up where you think you left off.
Trust yourself and as you continue with this breath for a few more moments see if you can resoften your entire body.
Any tension that built up since we started with the mudra in the hands let that melt again.
After your next exhale through the left nostril you can gently release your hand.
There's no rush to get there and let yourself breathe in and out through both nostrils.
Come back to a smooth,
Relaxed,
Soft breath.
Notice your energetic state right now.
How do you feel?
What is present for you in this moment?
Is there anything that your body is gently mentioning to you that you might want to take a note of?
Let yourself take a slightly deeper breath.
Maybe an exhale out of the mouth.
You might slightly move your head with your eyes still closed.
Maybe you should shrug the shoulders up to the ears and then softly release them.
Bring some gentle movements to the fingers.
Become aware of sounds around you,
Of the place you're in again,
Your place in the space.
You might rub your hands together and place your hands on your eyes before you start to open them if you want to soften the light coming back to the room.
Then notice your surroundings.
Notice your state of being and carry that with you as you move on with the rest of your day.
Thank you for your practice.
