Hello and welcome.
My name is Zoe and we are going to breathe together today.
If you're feeling a little bit stressed or overwhelmed or even fatigued,
Then you're in the right place.
This practice is here to support you.
So the breath is really a reflection of our mind and when we breathe well it affects everything.
Today we're going to breathe diaphragmatically and while that might sound a little simple and obvious,
There are a number of qualities that I'm going to introduce to you that will really support optimal breathing.
So the first thing to know is that we're going to breathe through our nostrils,
In and out through the nostrils.
We're going to breathe deeply,
Diaphragmatically.
So when we breathe in we expand the belly,
The belly expands and as we exhale the belly will fall back towards the spine.
Our breath is going to be quiet,
So barely audible and then eventually we'll invite the breath to be even and equal.
Equal on the inhale and the exhale and equal in length and width and texture.
So let's get started.
The first thing you'll do is find a comfortable position.
So I invite you to sit in a chair,
Sit on a couch,
Maybe lean up against a wall,
Whatever's going to feel most supportive for you and I think the main thing is that your spine is relatively straight so that you can really have the best opportunity to breathe well.
And so when you've found that position,
Go ahead and close down your eyes and if you don't want to close down your eyes,
You can just soften your gaze.
As we close the eyes or soften the gaze,
We can withdraw inward and take a few moments just to notice your breath.
Without changing anything,
Begin by noticing how you're breathing,
Without judging,
Without trying to do anything at all,
Just feeling the inflow and the outflow of your breath coming in and out of your nostrils.
As you breathe in,
Allow the spine to elongate up towards the sky and as you breathe out,
Allow the spine and the sit bones to draw down towards the ground.
On the inhale,
Feel as though you are filling yourself with vitality,
Sustenance and nurturance and as you exhale,
Releasing any worries or concerns,
Letting your shoulders drop away from your ears,
Relaxing all the muscles around your eyes,
Your cheeks,
Releasing your jaw.
And the next time you breathe in,
You might even like to place one or two hands onto your feet or your belly and just see if on the inhale,
Your belly can expand a little and on the exhale,
The belly falls back towards the spine.
Three to five breaths,
Just breathing in and out through your nostrils and expanding the belly on the inhale,
Naturally falling back on the exhale.
Continue breathing in this way and just notice if you can hear your breath and seeing if you can allow the breath to be quiet,
Barely audible.
Continue breathing deeply and notice if your breath is smooth,
Gently ironing out any hitches or breaks in the breath,
Inviting the breath to be smooth and steady and relaxed,
Simply receiving the breath,
Naturally letting it go.
And if you had your hands on your belly,
You might just let it go.
Let them relax in your lap,
Continuing to breathe down into the belly on the inhale,
Letting the belly naturally fall back towards the spine on the exhale.
And as you continue to breathe in this way,
You might imagine the breath being like a paint stroke,
Even and equal in texture,
In width and length.
So as you breathe in,
You might imagine a paint stroke moving up and as you exhale,
The paint stroke moves down.
We're going to breathe evenly on the inhale and the exhale to a count of four.
As you breathe in,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Exhale,
Two,
Three,
Four.
Continue on your own and adjust the count to your own rhythm.
Maybe you take off a count or add a count,
Making sure that your breath is deep and even,
Smooth and quiet.
Belly expanding on the inhale and falling back towards the spine on the exhale.
Five more breaths on your own,
Smooth and relaxed,
Even in texture,
Width and length.
Now,
As you continue to breathe in this way,
See if the breath can flow from the inhale flowing into the exhale and the exhale flowing into the inhale,
Taking out the gap in between each breath.
So just like the ocean comes into the shore and seamlessly falls back towards the body of water,
Flowing seamlessly into the shore and back out again.
Seeing if your breath can be seamless and effortless,
Flowing from the inhale to the exhale and the exhale flowing into the inhale.
Five more breaths on your own,
Now release any effort around breathing and just allow your breath to be natural,
Letting go of the technique and just noticing the quality of your breath reflected in the quality of your mind.
And then when you're ready,
You can just gently blink,
Open your eyes and coming back,
Maybe taking a stretch,
Shaking your hands out,
Rolling your shoulders.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today,
Knowing that you can use this breath technique almost anywhere and at any time to support you if you're feeling fatigued,
Anxious or overwhelmed.
This practice is definitely a support.
I'll see you again next time.
Have a great day.
