(Click the audio above to listen to the full meditation. It’s unedited, so you might notice a few stumbles, background sounds, or natural pauses. I hope you enjoy it just as it is.)
This morning will be a breath-centred practice. We’ll begin with mindful breathing, just noticing it as it is, without the need to change anything. This is usually the heart of our practice.
Then we’ll settle into a gentle pranayama. Pranayama is the practice of working with the breath in deliberate ways to affect your state of being.
Most of us breathe on autopilot… shallow, fast, chest-dominant. This kind of breathing keeps the body in a low-grade state of alertness. Pranayama is simply the practice of breathing on purpose.
Today’s technique uses a double inhale… two short sniffs through the nose, followed by a long, slow exhale. The double inhale fully inflates the lungs, including the upper lobes that rarely get used. And the long exhale activates the vagus nerve, signalling the parasympathetic nervous system… the rest-and-digest branch, to switch on. Your heart rate slows. Your muscles release. Your nervous system shifts gears.
You’re taking something that usually runs in the background and bringing it into your own hands.
I find it intriguing, soothing... and genuinely helpful. Something worth exploring.
As we move into the practice, I’ll get quiet to give you space to explore.
Let’s begin…
~Robyn
If you’d like to join us live each week, or you are just craving a steadier rhythm of calm, reflection, and simple mindfulness practices, you’re warmly invited to join us inside the Bring Calm Home Membership.
If moving your body in a quiet, supported way at home feels like something you need, there’s space for you inside Creating Space Yoga.
Before you move on from the practice, a little more to explore…
