TIME TO COMPLETE: 12 MINS
BENEFITS: Blending, Stress Relief, and Improved Digestion
This version of Pure Breath uses Diaphragmatic Breathing and Sama Vritti to teach you how to be calm and relaxed even while physically engaged in a tall seat. Sitting requires isolating the muscles required for a supported seat while simultaneously softening the muscles of your front abdominal and pelvic muscles.
- Start by setting a timer for 12 minutes.
- Close your eyes and relax your body in a comfortable sitting position with your spine upright.
- Use Chin Mudra if you want to heighten the grounding effect. Bring your attention to your breathing and begin to practice diaphragmatic breathing, relaxing the strain in your front belly and pelvis to enable the breath to collect in the lower lungs. Allow your tummy to softly expand on inhale and compress toward your spine on exhale. Relax into this method for 2 minutes, feeling the chest and rib cage stop moving.
- Engage sama vritti by ensuring that your inhale and exhalation are of equal duration and quality, while keeping your breath anchored in your belly. You may assist guarantee its evenness by counting your breaths. For 2 minutes, breathe steadily into your belly button.
- Continue to breathe evenly to your abdomen, paying attention to any pauses, stops, or irregularities in your breathing. Begin to smooth out these "ripples" by relaxing your breath to produce a smooth and even abdominal intake and expiration. Maintain this smooth, even abdominal breath for 2 minutes.
- Continue to be mindful of the transitions between your breaths while maintaining the prior breathing patterns (the top of the inhalation and the bottom of the exhalation). Relax all effort at the peak of your inhale and let the inhalation to flow into the exhale without pausing. Relax all effort at the bottom of your exhale and let the exhalation to flow into the inhale without halting. Continue to breathe in this calm cyclical pattern for 5 minutes.
- Consider a Ferris wheel that is always spinning to better visualize the Pure Breath. It climbs to the peak on inhalation and then continues through the fall, expiration, and back up again without pausing. Feel your breath change as you release the method. Allow your eyes to open gradually.
- Keep a journal of your experience, recording any unusual feelings, progress, or obstacles.
TIP: Maintaining this exercise when sitting is more difficult than laying down. Sitting with your back against the wall is a nice midway. Maintain abdominal engagement while sitting tall by leaning against the wall for support.
You may also want to read more about Pranayama and Holistic Healing here.
