As your yoga practice comes to an end you relax in Savasana and let go of the whole of your body, feeling yourself sink deeper and deeper into the mat. Letting go and feeling calm, relaxed and peaceful.
Coming out of Savasana assume the classic yogi position in Padmasana or whatever comfortable cross legged position is comfortable for you.
Take your hands into a mudra, lengthen the front of the body through the core up to the crown of the head and lengthening the spine.
Lower your head slightly and close your eyes, focusing on your breathing.
Sublty engage mula bandha, drawing back the naval slightly so as to engage Uddiyana bandha, just slightly so as not to restrict the movement of the diaphragm and hinder breathing.
Take a long slow deep inhalation through the nose and a long slow exhalation through the nose. Let your breath be slow, steady and even.
Let the breath in be the same length as the breath out and with each inhalation fill the lungs, expanding the chest, contracting and fully expelling the lungs on the exhale.
As you inhale visualise the breath entering your body high into the back of the throat and as you take in the last breath of air, feel yourself being suspended with that breath for a moment as the breath is then held in.
Don't restrict the breath, just let it be, holding the breath in until it feels natural to exhale, slowly and deeply as the chest contracts and the air releases from the lungs.
Repeat this breathing pattern several times. Inhaling deeply high into the back of the throat and exhaling deeply down to the abdomen.
As you inhale and reach the point where the inhalation ends and the breath retention begins you experience a feeling of being lifted. Your spine is lengthening and your whole body drifting upwards as though you are transcending from your body as you hold the breath in. For those few moments your mind and body are at one and through the avenue of the breath are dancing with the divine, that is universal consciousness, our source and place of infinite possibilities and peace.
Exhaling and you feel yourself fluttering back down with your breath, a renewed sense of calm and peacefulness washes over you as you then repeat the process again.
Continue on until you feel complete stillness throughout your mind and body and then allow yourself to release the bandhas which were subtly engaged.
Let your breath fall into its natural rhythm and simply focus on the rise and fall of your breathing, not forcing the breath, not restricting the breath and not holding the breath in, just simply allowing it to be.
Silently affirming 'SO' on the inhale and 'HUM' on the exhale.
Om shanti, shanti Om
Shelley Costello is a yoga teacher, writer and wellness coaching helping others to overcome challenge and change to live a happier, healthier and more fulfilled life.
A qualified yoga teacher and life coach, she has studied many areas of wellness to include nutrition, relaxation, Ayurveda, meditation, relaxation, Indian Head massage, Buddhism and different self development programmes and techniques.
Shelley has published two books and several articles with the International Yoga Magazine. She writes and publishes articles regularly on self development and wellbeing and is currently writing her third book.
Visit Shelley Costello at http://www.shelleycostello.net
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