WEBVTT 00:00:00.046 --> 00:00:03.543 (upbeat music) 00:00:12.595 --> 00:00:14.760 - Alrighty, welcome my darling friends. 00:00:14.760 --> 00:00:18.472 Thank you so much for joining me for a little breathwork 00:00:18.472 --> 00:00:20.360 and for joining sweet Benji, 00:00:20.360 --> 00:00:22.800 who's being extra darling today, 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:24.470 as we can see. 00:00:24.470 --> 00:00:26.580 Come on down to the ground if you haven't already. 00:00:26.580 --> 00:00:29.710 Make sure you're comfy and supported. 00:00:29.710 --> 00:00:31.740 So a little blanket goes a long way. 00:00:31.740 --> 00:00:33.060 I've lifted the hips up. 00:00:33.060 --> 00:00:34.750 You can sit cross-legged. 00:00:34.750 --> 00:00:35.820 If you're struggling today, 00:00:35.820 --> 00:00:40.140 you can do this breath practice on your back. 00:00:40.140 --> 00:00:43.140 But for today, this balancing breathwork, 00:00:43.140 --> 00:00:47.600 it is my preference to be upright in this spine. 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:49.584 So just feel it out, though. 00:00:50.750 --> 00:00:55.890 Alright, and then as you get settled in, just take a moment 00:00:55.890 --> 00:00:59.400 to connect to how you're feeling today. 00:00:59.400 --> 00:01:01.680 Maybe close your eyes. 00:01:01.680 --> 00:01:04.740 Just shut it down for a second. 00:01:04.740 --> 00:01:08.060 Maybe soften the skin of the face. 00:01:10.740 --> 00:01:15.780 And maybe you just find a little sway in the spine here 00:01:15.780 --> 00:01:21.120 as you relax your shoulders and drop in. 00:01:22.500 --> 00:01:25.020 So just like with our physical asana, 00:01:25.020 --> 00:01:27.960 the pranayama practice, you know, 00:01:27.960 --> 00:01:31.189 it has a beginning, middle, and end always. 00:01:32.340 --> 00:01:36.210 And the beginning can be sticky and hard to get going. 00:01:39.851 --> 00:01:42.960 So a soft, easy sway to just 00:01:42.960 --> 00:01:46.545 kind of drop in, land here in the moment. 00:01:46.545 --> 00:01:48.300 You already pressed play on the video, 00:01:48.300 --> 00:01:50.340 we're gonna do it to the end 00:01:50.340 --> 00:01:53.221 and you're going to love it. I'm just kidding. (chuckles) 00:01:54.300 --> 00:01:56.725 But we're gonna just discover 00:01:58.020 --> 00:02:02.506 the subtle and the powerful benefits of breathwork. 00:02:04.140 --> 00:02:05.520 And the more you show up, 00:02:05.520 --> 00:02:10.302 the more you start to discover and feel 00:02:10.302 --> 00:02:13.730 how this type of conscious breathing 00:02:13.730 --> 00:02:17.650 can affect our nervous system, 00:02:20.100 --> 00:02:21.780 and the brain, of course, 00:02:21.780 --> 00:02:25.552 and therefore our emotional health 00:02:26.811 --> 00:02:29.532 and mental health. 00:02:32.640 --> 00:02:34.420 Nice. We're gonna start by just 00:02:34.420 --> 00:02:39.090 taking a full breath in and as you breathe in, 00:02:39.090 --> 00:02:43.560 think about that inhale traveling down to your belly. 00:02:45.900 --> 00:02:49.050 And then on the exhale it travels up and 00:02:49.050 --> 00:02:51.087 out through the nose. 00:02:52.740 --> 00:02:55.310 So we call this directional breathing. 00:02:55.310 --> 00:02:59.267 You inhale, inflate down into the belly. 00:03:00.900 --> 00:03:04.490 And exhale it comes all the way up 00:03:04.490 --> 00:03:07.260 and out through the nose. 00:03:07.260 --> 00:03:08.880 And sometimes this may be a 00:03:08.880 --> 00:03:11.460 little too jiggy for you but a little hand gesture helps 00:03:11.460 --> 00:03:14.940 especially if you're used to breathing up on inhale, 00:03:14.940 --> 00:03:17.040 into the shoulders like we did when we were kids maybe, 00:03:17.040 --> 00:03:20.188 not babies, but younger people. 00:03:21.720 --> 00:03:25.709 So again, inhaling down into the belly. 00:03:26.880 --> 00:03:29.100 And exhaling up and out. 00:03:29.100 --> 00:03:34.597 Now just try a couple moments here, a minute, on your own. 00:03:36.970 --> 00:03:39.446 Inhale, travels down. 00:03:42.660 --> 00:03:45.660 And the exhalation travels up and out. 00:04:12.570 --> 00:04:14.400 Now adding some layers, 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:17.940 so continue with this directional breath. 00:04:19.140 --> 00:04:21.900 Some layers are to exaggerate 00:04:21.900 --> 00:04:24.300 a little bit the expansion in the belly. 00:04:24.300 --> 00:04:27.855 Think of like a balloon breath, a balloon belly. 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:34.200 And then on the exhale, engage the abs, 00:04:34.200 --> 00:04:36.798 draw the navel in and up. 00:04:38.640 --> 00:04:44.127 This takes concentration (chuckles) and focus. 00:04:53.460 --> 00:04:57.720 And adding another layer, lift the sternum. 00:04:59.400 --> 00:05:02.353 Find more length through the crown. 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:17.660 Nice, now you can open your 00:05:17.660 --> 00:05:20.410 eyes to a soft gaze if you need a visual here but we're 00:05:20.410 --> 00:05:23.950 just gonna bring one hand on the belly and then the other. 00:05:23.950 --> 00:05:27.240 You can go palm to palm or you can go fist to fist. 00:05:27.240 --> 00:05:32.545 So we're gonna move into a more energizing pranayama now, 00:05:32.545 --> 00:05:34.320 Kapalabhati breath. 00:05:34.320 --> 00:05:36.120 Essentially, we're gonna be 00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:38.160 doing the same expansion we just did, 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:40.260 but we're gonna speed it up a little bit. 00:05:40.260 --> 00:05:43.590 Try to keep your shoulders relaxed, heart lifted. 00:05:43.590 --> 00:05:45.840 This is like a pumping breath. 00:05:45.840 --> 00:05:48.300 So you're gonna inhale into the belly, 00:05:48.300 --> 00:05:50.040 feel the expansion. 00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:54.918 Short, sharp exhale, draws the navel into the spine. 00:05:54.918 --> 00:05:57.300 And then the inhale is passive. 00:05:58.320 --> 00:06:00.360 Exhale, draw it in. 00:06:01.140 --> 00:06:04.140 Inhale, almost becomes passive as you start to speed it up. 00:06:04.140 --> 00:06:05.420 Ready? Here we go. 00:06:08.230 --> 00:06:10.262 Close the eyes whenever you're ready. 00:06:18.690 --> 00:06:20.940 Pets usually freak out at this one, 00:06:20.940 --> 00:06:22.785 so just try to stay focused. 00:06:26.897 --> 00:06:28.680 And keep a nice, steady pace. 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:31.748 So you can align with my pace or find your own. 00:07:00.360 --> 00:07:01.920 And then let it go. 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:03.360 Inhale, nice and easy. 00:07:04.440 --> 00:07:05.760 Exhale, just let it go. 00:07:05.760 --> 00:07:07.560 Allow your hands to rest in your lap. 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:09.720 We're gonna do one more round of that in just a second, 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:12.379 but for now, just breathe nice and easy. 00:07:14.940 --> 00:07:17.340 Maybe swallow. 00:07:17.340 --> 00:07:19.961 Soften the skin of the forehead. 00:07:24.420 --> 00:07:26.100 And then round two. 00:07:26.100 --> 00:07:27.780 Try to keep the chest lifted 00:07:27.780 --> 00:07:30.120 and try to keep the shoulders still. 00:07:30.960 --> 00:07:34.080 So this takes practice, so you're gonna relax. 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:37.800 I think the fingertips or the 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:39.420 hands on the belly are really helpful, 00:07:39.420 --> 00:07:41.780 particularly if this is new to you. 00:07:41.780 --> 00:07:44.425 So you can help isolate these muscles. 00:07:44.425 --> 00:07:47.760 Think of the exhale like a snap, (snaps) snapping in. 00:07:48.780 --> 00:07:52.320 And I was gonna give you one other suggestion, 00:07:52.320 --> 00:07:54.811 whatever, I forgot what it was. Okay, here you go. 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:01.074 Inhale in fully to begin. 00:08:03.960 --> 00:08:05.654 And exhale. 00:08:32.880 --> 00:08:33.780 Stick with it. 00:08:33.780 --> 00:08:36.660 Meet your uncomfortable edge. 00:08:36.660 --> 00:08:38.079 Hang with me. 00:08:54.877 --> 00:08:58.213 Speed it up for the last 10 seconds. 00:09:05.640 --> 00:09:07.240 And then let it go. 00:09:07.240 --> 00:09:09.780 Palms on the thighs. 00:09:10.920 --> 00:09:13.920 Face up or face down depending on how you feel. 00:09:14.880 --> 00:09:16.380 And just keep your eyes closed 00:09:16.380 --> 00:09:18.900 here if you can or soft gaze and notice how you feel. 00:09:18.900 --> 00:09:20.400 If you feel a little lightheaded, 00:09:20.400 --> 00:09:22.310 palms down, I suggest. 00:09:23.100 --> 00:09:26.700 If you're feeling like a little happy, 00:09:26.700 --> 00:09:30.720 grounded, floating, blissful being, maybe, 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:33.041 maybe palms face up is good. 00:09:39.060 --> 00:09:41.460 Alright, bat the eyelashes open, 00:09:41.460 --> 00:09:45.060 take a gentle stretch in the neck, 00:09:45.060 --> 00:09:47.452 maybe some soft movement. 00:09:53.773 --> 00:09:55.094 Alright. 00:09:56.160 --> 00:10:00.060 So we're coming to the end of our video practice here. 00:10:00.060 --> 00:10:05.520 We use directional breath to tune in, to drop in, 00:10:05.520 --> 00:10:07.500 ground down in the present moment, 00:10:07.500 --> 00:10:09.720 slow things down. 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:14.340 And we picked up the pace with the Kapalabhati breath, 00:10:14.340 --> 00:10:17.520 which is an energizing breath, also really good for the 00:10:17.520 --> 00:10:21.720 digestive organs and it can kind of give you that natural 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:25.531 high if you continue to practice it regularly. 00:10:25.531 --> 00:10:27.540 That is sometimes really nice. 00:10:27.540 --> 00:10:31.440 It's like when you're craving another coffee or a tea, 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:35.760 it's nice to play with pranayama instead. 00:10:35.760 --> 00:10:38.965 We're gonna end with a little breath 00:10:40.020 --> 00:10:43.500 that is just honestly if you're gonna do one thing 00:10:43.500 --> 00:10:46.730 every day I think this this would be it so you're gonna 00:10:46.730 --> 00:10:50.215 inhale in through your nose 00:10:50.215 --> 00:10:53.290 and then inhale in through your nose again 00:10:53.290 --> 00:10:56.660 and then you're gonna exhale out through your mouth. 00:10:56.660 --> 00:10:59.460 So in a lot of ways we're putting the two forward 00:10:59.460 --> 00:11:03.790 breaths together for this creative banger! 00:11:03.790 --> 00:11:07.030 So inhale, inhale through the nose, 00:11:07.030 --> 00:11:10.600 slow long exhale through the mouth. 00:11:10.600 --> 00:11:12.550 Got it? Let's go. 00:11:12.550 --> 00:11:16.440 Inhale, inhale, exhale. 00:11:17.400 --> 00:11:18.780 I'll guide the first three. 00:11:18.780 --> 00:11:23.340 Inhale, inhale, exhale slow. 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:30.240 Inhale, inhale, slow exhale. 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:34.185 Keep it going. 30 seconds. 00:11:57.600 --> 00:12:00.000 Keep it going, drop your chin slightly. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.496 If you need to focus in, 10 more seconds. 00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:26.294 One more. 00:12:29.760 --> 00:12:32.487 And let it go. 00:12:32.487 --> 00:12:35.138 Amazing, bring the palms together, 00:12:35.138 --> 00:12:36.780 start to rub them together. 00:12:36.780 --> 00:12:38.220 Just notice how you feel. 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:43.270 Whew, sigh it out if you need a little sound. 00:12:44.580 --> 00:12:48.840 Take a deep breath in, sit up tall, 00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:50.760 and just bring one hand to the heart, 00:12:50.760 --> 00:12:52.830 one hand to the belly here to close. 00:12:52.830 --> 00:12:55.780 Thank you so much for taking this time 00:12:55.780 --> 00:12:59.760 to invest in conscious breathing with me. 00:12:59.760 --> 00:13:02.400 It's an honor and pleasure always. 00:13:02.400 --> 00:13:04.515 Hope to see you again soon. 00:13:04.515 --> 00:13:06.748 Take good care. 00:13:08.328 --> 00:13:12.930 (upbeat music)