Happy Friday! Here’s something a little different for ya’ll…
In my personal practice, over the past couple of months, I’ve really been getting into breath work. In my experience, the breath is an incredibly powerful tool that we carry with us simply because by controlling the breath, we ultimately take control of the mind. And I don’t know about ya’ll, but these past 6 months have definitely been some of the most mentally challenging months of my life. Breath work has been my saving grace. And I wanted to share a little bit of my practice with you.
This is a 20minute, Energizing Breathwork Practice that is really nice to do first thing in the morning to help you wake up your body and to cultivate a clear, calm, and focused mind. You could also use this before a yoga practice, a surf, or a training session. And without my explanation, you could probably move through this practice on your own in about 10 minutes or so… So if you’re curious, I’ll break down the sequence below!
If you are new to this, be gentle with yourself, it usually takes at least a few sessions to get comfortable with the techniques. Consistency is queen, so a little bit every day should help make it feel more effortless. Just like yoga asana, it's a journey and not a destination ☺️
We’ll begin with some MFR to reset + reactivate the diaphragm using a RAD Centre or a rolled up towel.
This technique is best to do on an empty stomach, and shouldn’t be practiced if you’re pregnant. For this technique, you’re going to be laying on top of the RAD Centre or your rolled up towel — bring the ball or the rolled towel just below the rib cage to the soft part of the belly, and you can support yourself on your forearms. On the inhale breathe into the belly and feel the belly press into your prop, on the exhale soften the belly and see if you can melt around the prop a little more. Repeat for 10 breath cycles.
**PS: If you’re interested in purchasing some of the RAD products, feel free to use my code “CAITRAD15” for 15% OFF your entire order. I will receive a small commission from the sale, but at no extra cost to you. Treat yourself while also showing me a little love ❤️We’ll follow this with some MFR for the intercostal muscles between the ribs.
And for this technique you wont need any props, but it might be nice to sit on a cushion or folded towel. Sit up tall and begin to palpate your right side rib cage. As you feel your ribs allow a finger to land on the soft tissue between two of your ribs and gently press in and back. Maintain that pressure on the tissues with your finger as you take a breath in and side bend to your left, then using your exhale to bring you back to center. Spend about 30-60seconds working into the right side ribs, then repeat on the left side.
From here we move into the breath practice, beginning with a wave-like “3-Part Breath” (Dirga Swasam Pranayama) to help set an efficient breathing pattern while focusing the mind and getting present in the body.
Breathe in through the nose and feel the breath fill up the belly first, the mid chest second, and upper chest third — try to keep the face, neck, and shoulders all relaxed. The exhale, also out of the nose, will move from top to bottom, releasing the breath from the upper chest, mid chest, then finally from the belly. Keep in mind that this breath should wrap 360* around the torso, so you should feel/sense movement in the sides of the body and the back body, too. As you get comfortable with this technique, see if you can begin to slow down the exhale so it’s a little longer than your inhale. Continue this breathing pattern for 2-3 minutes.
Then, we’ll ramp things up with 2 rounds of a “Breath of Fire” (Bhastrika Pranayama), which is a ‘superventilation’ technique, and we’ll be doing an active inhale and exhale through the nose.
This technique has many benefits, but here we use the diaphragm like a “pump” to send freshly oxygenated blood out into the tissues of the body and the brain, giving the body a boost of energy while cultivating a calm yet focused mind. Again, try to keep the neck and shoulders relaxed throughout this technique. If at any point this creates strong sensations of discomfort or pain, simply return to that wave-like “3-Part Breath.” One round will be about 20-30 breath cycles.
**For each round: Upon your final exhale, you’ll contract your core to help squeeze all the air out of your lungs, then go into a short (20-45 second) breath hold. After the hold on the exhale, you’ll take a deep inhale through the nose, then hold the breath again. In the video we do about 30 second breath holds on the exhale and inhale, but keep in mind you can tailor the duration of the hold to your needs.
**One more note on the holds: Sensations of tingling or light-headedness are totally normal when going into breath holds. If it ever becomes too uncomfortable, remember to just return to that smooth, wave-like breath.
Once you’ve completed your 2 rounds of Breath of Fire (and your retentions), allow your breath to smooth back out to that “wave-like” 3-part breath for a few rounds.
We’ll finish up with one of my favorites, Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana Pranayama), which has a nice balancing effect on both the body and the mind.
For this technique you’ll use your right hand — the thumb will connect with the right nostril and the ring finger with the left nostril. Begin by plugging the right nostril and inhaling through the left, then plug left and exhale through right, keep the left nostril plugged as you inhale through right, then plug right and exhale through left. That completes 1 round. Take 5 rounds total focusing on smooth, calm, and even breaths in and out.
Then, go out and enjoy your day!! Whatever it is you have to do. Notice how this sense of clarity and calm blended with energy and focus supports you throughout your day.
And as always, if you ever have any questions feel free to reach out! Thanks for tuning in and I hope you found it helpful. Blessings!