Welcome to this balanced breath pranayama practice.
This practice is a great tool to come back to if you're feeling stressed,
Anxious,
Or need to take a moment just to ground yourself.
So begin by settling into a comfortable position.
You can lie down or sit up.
Anything that feels comfortable for you.
The most important thing here is to keep your spine long and neutral.
If you choose to sit on the floor,
Maybe try sitting up on a pillow or a folded blanket to help lengthen your spine.
With your eyes still open,
Let your gaze drift into the distance.
Not focusing on anything in particular,
But letting your gaze begin to soften.
Begin to notice your own natural breath.
Without effort or force,
Let your breath flow in its own normal,
Natural rhythm and flow.
As you breathe,
Notice the qualities of your breath.
Notice its characteristics.
Is your breath deep or shallow?
Fast or slow?
Warm or cool?
Notice your own breath,
Knowing there is no right or wrong.
No need to judge or change.
And as you continue to notice your breath,
Begin to notice the length of your breath.
Noticing the length of your inhale to the length of your exhale.
Notice if one half,
If one side of your breath is longer than the other.
Perhaps your inhale is longer than your exhale,
Or your exhale longer than your inhale.
If you notice one side of your breath is longer or shorter than the other,
Begin to bring them into balance.
Engaging with your breath now,
So the length of your inhales match your exhales,
And the length of your exhales match your inhales.
You can feel into this naturally.
You can feel into this intuitively,
Or if it helps,
Add a count to your breaths.
Maybe begin with a count of four.
Inhaling to a count of four,
Exhaling to a count of four.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Let each breath be fluid,
Each inhale flowing into the exhale,
And each exhale flowing back into the inhale,
Without holding your breath at the top or at the bottom,
Letting each half flow smoothly into the next.
As you continue to inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Keep going with your own breath at your own pace.
Inhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Again,
Try not to hold your breath at the top or the bottom,
But let each half flow from one into the next.
A steady,
Fluid wave of prana in and out.
If at any time you need to take a free breath,
Please do.
Then as you feel ready,
Gently begin to make your way back into the pattern of inhaling one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhaling one,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Complete one more round of breath on your own,
At your own pace.
Then at the bottom of your exhale,
Gently release the practice,
Letting your breath come back into its normal and natural rhythm and flow.
As it returns to its normal natural,
Take a few breaths here without effort,
Without force,
And notice what feels different.
Notice if through this practice,
Your breath has maybe changed,
Even if just a little bit.
As you feel ready,
Gently begin to open your eyes,
Letting in only as much light as feels comfortable,
Giving yourself time to readjust to what's around you,
Slowly taking in the room you're in,
The time of day,
The surface that supports you.
Take as much time as you need to move on from here.
Thank you for joining this practice.
