Welcome to the practice of Durga Swasam or three part yogic breath.
Find a comfortable seat.
Are they sitting on the floor,
Sitting on a chair or the end of your bed?
Make sure you're truly comfortable.
Take a couple of breaths just for you.
Feel a sense of lengthening through your spine.
On your next exhale,
Allow the shoulders to drop away from the ears a little.
And relax the features of your face.
Rest your palms or your hands as comfortable perhaps in your lap or resting on your thighs.
And now exhaling wherever you are in your breath cycle.
And as you inhale next,
Breathing firstly into your belly,
Feel the belly expand.
Next your ribs.
And third your chest.
Exhaling chest,
Ribs and belly.
Observe the exhale so completely that you feel your navel gently draw back.
Observe the inhale so complete that you feel the belly expand.
Continue these three part breath,
Your own pace,
Your own rhythm.
And noticing how you can relax into the belly,
The muscles around your ribs,
The muscles of your chest,
Allowing more space.
And taking that awareness not just to the front of your body,
To the sides of your waist,
The sides of your ribs and the sides of your chest.
As you inhale,
Feel that three part expansion.
As you exhale,
Feel that three part release.
Now taking the awareness to the back of your body,
The whole of the waist,
The whole of the rib cage,
The whole of the chest and your upper back.
Three part yogic breath.
Your body welcoming the expansion.
Welcoming the release.
On your next inhale,
Find your three part yogic breath and expand it a little more.
Go a little bit beyond your comfort zone.
And the following exhale,
The same.
Complete the breath.
Keep exhaling until you feel your navel draw back.
Slowly coming back into the inhale.
Keep exploring that sense of expansion and the sense of release.
In yogic philosophy,
Our inhale creates prana,
Energy within our body,
Every single cell.
Our exhale is responsible for the apana,
The release of what no longer serves us energetically and physically.
Very simple breath,
A very powerful breath.
Continue your breath with curiosity,
With presence and with reverence.
Exhale expansion.
Exhale release.
Inhale prana.
Exhale apana.
Each time your mind wanders,
Come back to the experience in your body.
Slowly softening the breath.
As you return to your normal natural breath,
You may begin to notice that you are naturally breathing deeper into your lungs.
This is a good thing.
Slowing it down,
Calm to your normal natural breath.
Bringing your awareness from your inner world to your outer world.
Invite some gentle movement to your fingers and toes.
Perhaps take your arms overhead and have a stretch.
And in your own time,
Slowly opening your eyes.
Journal any thoughts or feelings.
When you are ready,
Resume your day or your evening.
Thank you for sharing your practice with me.
Namaste.
