Some days life can feel pretty hectic. You find yourself moving in a fast paced throughout your day and may be in need to slow down and relax. Use this breath work practice to release any stress and tension in the body and mind. Start by finding a comfortable sitting position. Allow your eyes to gently close. Begin to settle your attention on your natural breathing – noticing the body breathing just as it is.
Take a deep inhale through your nose, filling up your belly, pause at the top, and then exhale slowly and deeply out of your mouth. Repeat this several times. Breathing in fully through your nose, pausing, and exhaling out your mouth. Notice as you exhale if you find yourself lightening up a bit, if your shoulders naturally go down and back, if your mind begins to settle. On your next inhale sip in a bit more air at the top and then hold for a count of 3, on your exhale make an ahhh sound as you breathe out your mouth. Feel the tension melting away slowly and deeply. Repeat this ahh sound for each exhale for the next few rounds.
Gently ease your breath without force to it’s natural rhythm. Begin to notice how every inhale feels coming through your body and finding this same awareness as you exhale.
Now begin to breathe in with intention and as you inhale raise your arms up over your head, exhale out of your nose very slowly out of your nose as you gently hinge at your waste and begin to fold over your legs, resting your palms on the floor. Use your next inhale to bring you back to seated as you float your arms up over head and exhaling your arms down into a prayer position in front of your heart. Begin this sequence again. Inhaling ever so slowly as you raise your arms up over head, exhaling finding a gentle release as you fold forward. Inhaling to come back through center arms over head and exhaling down through prayer. Once more in your own time repeat this breath work.
Now begin to take a body scan. Noticing any areas of tension or tightness. Locate a spot of discomfort and breathe in deeply through your nose and as you exhale visualize sending ease to that area. Taking long, steady, slow breaths in and out of the nose focusing on any areas of discomfort. If there are other areas you may move your focus to those areas breathing fully and deeply for a few rounds of breath.
Finally, take one final inhale through your nose, filling up all of the spaces in your body, and exhaling making an ahhh sound releasing every last drop of tension and stress from your body, mind, and breath. As you go about your day, know that the opportunity for this breath work practice is always there for you to take to find a gentle release to relax and reduce stress.