breath Category_Lifestyle fitness health yoga

Yoga With Jade - 10 minute Breathing

• JonRichard

A 10 minute breathing technique to help us press pause and reset.

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My Name is Jade I am part of the Jon Richard Team and a qualified Yoga instructor. I am happy to share with you a 10 minutes breathing technique aimed to help cultivate a meditative mood and to calm the mind. This exercise is not suitable for pregnant ladies.

It’s quite a simple technique but know that there is discipline and growth in these quiet moments. Conscious relaxation encourages us to control the mind in a different way we are used to. So rather than using our habitual patterns we are gently but persistently allowing space for us to develop new ways of thinking and being.

Building your Nest:

To begin set up your space, and allocate this time to you, you deserve it. Choose a spot you like, ideally it will have some degree of privacy and perhaps if you have a favourite candle or plant you could bring it with you. You don’t need any props but if you have the following you can bring them along to:

  • - A yoga mat
  • - A few pillows or cushions
  • - A blanket
  • - Some relaxing music
  • - A candle
  • - A yoga block or some hard backed books

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH717Z5iLNY


10 minute breathing technique:

Step 1

Warm Up – 1 min or so

Set your timer for 10 minutes and choose a low chime or ring to alert you when your 10 mins is up.

Step 2

Sit in a comfortable seated pose, close your eyes and take a few centering breathes. If like me after a few moments, you find it difficult to keep your eyes shut, open them and simply soften the gaze and try to focus on one spot. Start to notice the sounds around you, for me this isn’t about blocking the noise out by some Yogi Warrior magic but by making peace with the sounds of the house and trying to sink into it. Take a moment to notice your body as it moves with your breath. Place your hands on your stomach and notice as you inhale the stomach fills and as your exhale it falls. Know that there is growth and discipline here, try and set an intention, a reason for being here today. It may be something like I want to feel good in my body and calm in my mind. Now open your eyes.

Step 3

Make sure you are comfortable, you can sit resting on a wall with your legs out in front of you if sitting crossed leg is not serving you today. Place your right hand on top of your left with both palms facing up and let them rest in front of you, for me they will sit in front of my hips. We’re human, our bodies are unique, just make sure you aren’t bending your elbow too much.

Roll your shoulders down and away from your ears, have your belly button slighting pressing inwards towards your spine to keep that connection with your body.

Step 4

On the next inhale, point the index finger of the right hand and laterally raise your right arm ( so it’s moving away from the midline of your body) and above your head so your index fingers is now pointing towards the sky. Remember to keep those shoulders relaxed. Lift your heart up towards the sky.

Step 5

On the exhale, bend your elbow and bring your arm in line with your nose so you index finger is pointing directly towards it. Block the right nostril with your index finger and expel all your breath out of your left nostril. As your exhale you may notice your belly button pushing inwards towards your spine to allow you to expel all the breath powerfully. Once you have expelled all the air bring arm down and bring your hands to rest in your starting position.

Step 6

Repeat on the left side. Transition from your left to right side and as you become more used to the see if you close your eyes if they aren’t already and focus more on the rhythm of your body over each step. You can stay doing this for the full 10 minutes or when you are ready you can simply sit still and enjoy the relaxation and calmness you may feel as a result of the breathing technique.

Hopefully concentrating on the movement will have helped to reduce those thoughts that can creep in so quite literally you’ve taken your mind off of things. Remember there is growth and discipline in the most simplest on movements, these techniques have been perfected over thousands of years. It can be frustrating sitting and doing this, try and avoid the need to get up and fidget.

Step 7

Once your alarm signals it’s time to finish, open your eyes if they were closed and take a moment before dashing up and onto your next ‘To Do’. Try and do this a few times this week and see if you feel any benefits. Alternative nostril breathing may help to: relax your body and mind, reduce anxiety, promote overall well-being and is believed to;

  • Lowers stress and improves cardiovascular function. ...
  • Improves lung function and respiratory endurance. ...
  • Lowers heart rate. ...
  • Promotes well-being.

I personally have experienced the most profound shifts from consistently practices techniques like this and yet I still fall out of the practice so thank you for sharing your beautiful energy with me today and motivating me to take 10 minutes for myself.

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