Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose, allowing your diaphragm—the parachute-like muscle under the ribs—to expand. Feel your belly rise as your lungs fill with air. Exhale completely, allowing the diaphragm to relax. Inhale. Breathe into the pelvis as if it’s a bowl, imagining it as a bowl. Exhale through the pelvic floor. We’re going to inhale into thirds. Inhale slowly through your nose, filling one-third of your lungs. Pause. Continue inhaling, filling the next third of your lungs. Pause. Finish inhaling, filling the last third of your lungs. Pause. Inhale further to top off your lungs. Now, exhale through your mouth, feeling your ribcage contract. Inhale deeply and fully through your nose, focusing on your intercostal muscles (the muscles between your ribs) as they expand along with the ribcage outward and upward as your lungs fill with air. Exhale slowly, releasing one-third of the air from your lungs. Pause. Continue exhaling, releasing the next third of air. Pause. Finish exhaling, releasing the remaining air from your lungs. Pause. Take a full exhale to empty your lungs completely. Now let your breath return to its natural rhythm.
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Sit tall, spine straight. Close your eyes and relax your body.
Inhale deeply through your nose in three parts:
Breathe in one-third of your lung capacity, then pause.
Inhale another third, pause again.
Complete the inhale with the final third, feeling the air settle on your diaphragm like an exercise ball. Pause.
Exhale slowly and smoothly in one continuous breath.
Now, focus on sensation:
Feel the cool air entering your nostrils.
Notice the gentle expansion of your chest and belly.
Savor the stillness in the pauses.
Take a moment to breathe naturally.
Now, reverse the pattern:
Inhale deeply and smoothly through your nose.
Exhale one-third of your breath, pause.
Exhale another third, pause.
Complete the exhale with the final third, then pause.
Feel the diaphragm lifting, the breath releasing.
Now, inhale smoothly in one continuous breath.
Sense the warm air leaving your nostrils.
Feel the gentle contraction of your chest and belly.
Breathe naturally for a few moments.
Now, direct your breath:
Breathe into the back of your body, filling the lungs.
Expand through the belly, chest, and side ribs with each inhale.
Feel breath moving through the back, sides, and front.
Deep inhale, deep exhale.
On the exhale:
Release one-third from below the navel.
Release one-third from the sternum to the back waist.
Release one-third from the collarbones.
On the inhale:
Fill one-third to the collarbones.
Fill one-third to the sternum.
Fill one-third to below the navel.
Let the breath flow smoothly with Ujjayi, a soft oceanic sound resonating at the back of your throat.
When you’re ready, open your eyes gently, bringing awareness back to the present moment.