Nostril Breathing Practice

Let's move through a practice of alternating the flow of breath to find a more balanced state in the dualities, beautiful techniques before a meditation practice. I'm going to lead you through, and you have a few options. If you are currently dealing with anxiety issues or you have high blood pressure, it might be better to do something called nasagrimudra, so you're going to take your right hand, index finger and middle fingers, kind of like your piece fingers, up as well as your thumb, and the index and middle will go on your forehead, and you'll just use your thumb and fourth finger index ring finger to alternate the flow of breath and provide a little pressure right underneath the bony cartilage, right above where you'd get like a nose piercing. You don't have those issues today, a little bit stronger, stronger doesn't always mean better. You can do Vishnu mudra, where you fold, index and middle into your palm, and then same thing, thumb and ring finger, a little pressure underneath the bony cartilage.

Now if you're really stuffed up or you have a deviated septum or you just don't like touching your face, you can take that padadirsasana, crisscrossing your arms underneath your armpit area, and the same thing will happen, you'll balance the flow of breath. So I'm going to talk you through and we'll see what happens, and just taking a moment establish your seat, choose something that's sustainable, draw the spine a little bit taller, and as you're ready, let's close the eyes. You're using the hand, just lifting your right hand, take your mudra, nasagri mudra or Vishnu mudra, thumb and fourth finger, a little bit above where you get a nose piercing. When your eyes close, just gently block the right nostril with your thumb, and inhale long smooth breath through the left nostril, take your time. At the top of the breath, close the left nostril, and you'll exhale out through the right nostril, and you'll inhale through the right nostril, all the way up into the upper parts of your chest, close, suspend, and exhale through the left nostril.

Inhale through the left, close, exhale through the right. Inhale through the right, close, exhale through the left. Now continue on just like this on your own, and if this pace is too fast or too slow for you, always go with your own rhythm. Often by relaxing your effort, the rhythm gets softer, slower on its own. Always continue, alternating the flow of breath.

Now continue on just like this on your own, alternating the flow of breath. Stay with it just a few more rounds, just the best you can. You notice that you're speeding up, just trying to get it done or get it right, just relax just a few more rounds, just like this on your own, just like this on your own, just like this on your own. The next time you exhale out through the left, take your time to get there and keep your eyes closed and just lower your right hand back to your knees. If your arms were in padadir sasana, you can relax both hands down onto the knees or thighs.

And then with your just sweet attention, for a few more rounds, mental alternate nostril breathing. And without the use of your hands, notice your next inhale moving in through the left, your exhale out through the right, your inhale in through the right. Your exhale out through the left. And through just a few more rounds. Now, relax.

Any control of the breathing and that mental alternate nostril flow. And just feel this very subtle movement of breath through both nostrils. This might feel a slide of breath above the upper palate and almost like two streams merging back to a point in the midbrain. No effort, just feel. Meaning what's riding on the breath, a sense of prana or the source of the breath itself.

Might start to feel the density of your presence growing in the midbrain. You might experience it as sensation or light, can allow that feeling, that sensation or light to grow, expand, more luminous, brighter, and begin to move it down the body. Feeling each cell permeated, glistening alive with your presence. Feel free to remain here as long as you'd like. When you do feel ready, just take a deeper breath in and out through the nose with great reverence for your body, your heart, your practice, just bow your head and allow yourself to move back into the room.

Namaste.