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breath

over the next few posts, i’ll offer some suggestions for using pranayama – an awareness of your breath – to help support you in these unusual times.

let’s begin by simply observing our breath –

lie on your back with your knees bent and soles of the feet on the floor
cover yourself with a blanket if you feel cold.

take some time to notice your body settling into the ground

make some small shifts to settle more deeply and to undo any tension –
do whatever feels comfortable – rocking, easing, releasing

when you are comfortable – let yourself become more still

notice how your natural breath moves your body

just notice

don’t do anything special –
you are not trying to deepen the breath at the moment

you may notice:

the rise of the abdomen as you breathe in
the fall of the abdomen as you breathe out

the freshness of the inhale in your nostrils
the soft warmth of the exhale

the pauses between the breaths

stay with this practice for a while.

‘and all the time and attention you spend on observation and awareness and obtaining emptiness in the body allows the cells to absorb the full beauty and nourishment of the new breath. breathing becomes a magic event, delicate and exquisite.’ sandra sabatini