Today's meditation is an alternate nostril breathing exercise intended to create balance and harmony to the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system.
The parasympathetic nervous system is also known as the rest and digest or the relaxation response because it creates a restful state of optimal organ,
Respiratory and urinary function.
The sympathetic nervous system is known as a fight or flight and sometimes referred to as the feed and breed.
This system is always active,
Stimulating tissue metabolism.
The system is also responsible for moving us quickly out of danger for example.
Both systems are necessary to work together for homeostasis,
That is for allowing functional balance as a complete human organism.
Most alternate nostril breathing exercises use the fingers to block off alternate nostrils as you breathe in and out.
This meditation does not block off the airways in the event of any form of airway obstruction whether it is physiological or physical.
Begin by finding a comfortable position lying down.
Bring your attention to the sole of your right foot.
Sense the right leg,
The hip,
The right side of your torso,
The right shoulder,
The right arm and hand,
The right side of your head,
The top of your head,
The left side of head,
Your left shoulder,
The left arm and hand,
The left side of your torso,
The left hip,
Your left leg and the sole of your left foot.
Back up the left leg,
The left hip,
The left side of your torso,
The left shoulder,
Your left arm,
Your left hand,
The left side of your head,
The top of your head,
The right side of your head,
The right shoulder,
The right arm,
The right hand,
The right side of your torso,
The right hip,
The right leg and the sole of your right foot.
Now breathe in from the sole of the right foot all the way up the side of the body to the top of the head.
Exhale down the left side of your body to the sole of your left foot.
Inhale from the sole of your left foot all the way up the left side of your body to the top of your head and exhale down the right side of your body to the sole of your right foot.
Inhale again from the sole of your right foot all the way up the side of the leg,
The torso,
The head,
Exhaling down the left side of the torso,
The leg and the sole of the foot.
Making your breath smoother and softer as you breathe in and a little longer as you breathe out.
Breathing in soft and smooth up the right side,
Exhaling soft and smooth down the left side.
Inhaling up the left side a little bit longer on that inhale and a little longer on the exhale as you breathe out to the bottom of the right foot.
Now as you breathe in the right side of the body imagine the breath coming in the right nostril.
Exhaling out through the left nostril down the left side of your body.
Inhale the left side of the body to the crown of the head.
Inhale down the right side of the body to the sole of the right foot.
Inhale soft smooth and regular up the right side of the body.
Exhaling down the left side of the body soft smooth and regular to the sole of the foot.
Inhaling up the left side.
Exhaling down the right side.
Continue a few more rounds at your own pace.
Now,
Let go of that visualization as you return to a natural breath bringing your attention to the soles of both feet,
Draw your breath in up to the crown of your head and exhale down to the soles of the feet.
Inhale from the soles of the feet to the crown of the head.
Exhale to the soles of the feet.
Begin to find some movement as you come back to the rest of your day with a sense of harmony and balance.
