Ujjayi Pranayama: Victorious Breath
Ujjayi Pranayama
In Sanskrit ‘ujjayi’ means ‘victorious’. In this pranayama you conquer or are victorious over the fluctuations of the mind. The sound of the breath is meant to be so absorbing that you are able to focus completely on the sound instead of getting wrapped up in your thoughts. The sound is created by partially closing the glottis while breathing. You may have also heard this referred to as the Ocean Sounding Breath.
This pranayama can be practiced at almost any time. You can practice this while walking around, before going to sleep to calm your mind, during a yoga asana practice to center your mind and after a yoga asana practice to continue channeling the energy/prana that was cultivated during the asana practice.
Benefits of Ujjayi Pranayama
encourages your attention to turn inwards
opens you up to a deeper level of awareness
brings you into the present moment
calms a racing mind
lowers blood pressure
regulates autonomic nervous system
activates vagus nerve due to the slight pressure created in the throat
How to Practice Ujjayi Pranayama
Sit comfortably, or even stand or lie down! Just be sure not to hunch forward as that will make it much harder to take in a full deep breath!
Breathe naturally and become aware of the natural sensations of breath moving in and out of your nostrils and wind pipe. If you are familiar with dirgha pranayama (the 3 part breath) begin to deepen your breath and practice dirgha, otherwise continue breathing normally.
Create a slight constriction at the back of your throat as if you are swallowing or fogging up a mirror with your breath (watch video below to see what I mean!)- making a “ha” or whisper sound at the back of your throat with your mouth closed.
Create this whisper sound with your throat as you breathe in and out through your nose. (It will be easier on the exhale than the inhale). The sound might remind you of the ocean…or Darth Vader! Even though you are breathing in and out through the nose the sound is really made in the throat.
Work towards making the sound as strong at the beginning of the inhale and exhale as it is at the end of the inhale and exhale. Continue strengthening the sound of the breath so that if someone were next to you they could hear you breathing. Try to make the sound of the breath louder than your thoughts!
Practice Sama Vritti (equal fluctuations/ equal inhale+exhale) breathing in for 4, exhaling for 4 (gradually lengthening both inhale and exhale perhaps up to 12 counts) or practice Asama Vritti (unequal fluctuations) making the exhale twice as long as the inhale- perhaps inhale for 4 and exhale for 8, or inhale for 6 exhale for 12. Making the exhale longer than the inhale is particularly soothing for the nervous system.
Take about 10 breaths. Then be sure to take a few minutes afterwards to just rest and feel the effects of ujjayi on your body/mind/spirit!
Words on Ujjayi Pranayama from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika:
VERSES 51 + 53
Closing the mouth, inhale with control and concentration through ida and pinball, so that the breath is felt from the throat to the heart and produces a sonorous sound.
This pranayama, called ujjayi, can be done while moving, standing, sitting or walking.
Down-regulating Breathing Patterns to Practice with Ujjayi
The following breathing patterns are very soothing for the nervous system and can be practiced with ujjayi.
1. Lengthen your exhale! This is the simplest thing to remember when you begin to feel agitated or anxious. See if you can work your way up to lengthening the exhale to twice the length of the inhale.
2. The 4-7-8 breath. Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8. In this breathing pattern the exhale is twice as long as the inhale but you also hold the breath for 7 counts before you exhale. Read below on the power of the pause during pranayama!
3. Box breathing. Also known as sama vritti (sama=equal. the 2 breaths above would be considered asama vritti - asama=unequal). Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4 and so on. Apparently they teach this one to Navy SEALS!
4. Coherent breathing. Inhale for 6 seconds. Exhale for 6 seconds. This adds up to about 5 breaths per minute.
One of the keys to the great benefits all these breathing practices is that you're breathing more slowly than you normally would. Many people normally only inhale for 2-3 seconds and exhale for 2-3 seconds.
The Power of the Pause in Pranayama
rest in the space between breaths.
rest in the space between actions.
peace is in the pause.
settle there.
part of the power of pranayama (yogic breath work) lies in the pause between inhales and exhales.
according to the sage Patanjali that’s all pranayama is- the gap between the inhale + exhale!
holding your breath at the top of the inhale for even just a moment is thought to allow for more time for the individual to absorb the prana (life force/energy).
holding your breath after exhale was said by Patanjali to be the key to removing any obstacle to yoga (yoga=union: union between 2 opposite poles of energy within us, union between individual self and universal self, etc…)
practice the power of the pause in your breath and you will begin to see the power of the pause in your every day life.
over time as your nervous system begins to learn that it is safe to slow down (whether through yoga, somatic therapy, polyvagal exercises) and you allow yourself to pause you will uncover your innate ability to c h o o s e.
a new reality is revealed when you discover your ability to pause and choose how to respond to the world instead of automatically react.
in that pause lies:
peace
spaciousness
and
possibility
If you want to practice Kumbhaka (breath retention) begin first by noticing the natural pauses between your inhales and exhales and as you become comfortable resting in that pause begin to extend it 1 second a time- eventually playing with releasing the exhale only when your body cues you to do so.
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Happy Breathing!
Let me know in the comments what your experience of ujjayi was and let me know if you have any questions!
Dirgha Pranayama: The 3 Part Breath
You’re already breathing all day and all night so why take extra time out of your day just to do more of what you’re already doing?
Although we are in fact breathing all day long many of us have a very shallow breathing pattern which results in a dampening of our life force (i.e. energy). When you take time to breathe with intention you create more space in the body/mind which creates more opportunity for energy to flow freely which makes you feel more alive!
Here’s some of what you might feel after several minutes of practicing Dirgha Pranayama:
a sense of mental clarity
a wave of calm and stability (due to the parasympathetic nervous system being activated)
a boost of energy
a physical sensation of openness
a deeper connection to yourself and your true desires (this comes with the mental clarity!)
a slowing down of racing thoughts
Pranayama (yogic breathing exercises) were developed to help the practitioner meditate with ease by unblocking the energy channels of the body/mind and therefore making it much easier to concentrate/dharana, so you can experience meditation/dhyana and ultimately experience enlightenment/samadhi (a direct and unmediated experience of reality).
Prana=energy Yama=restraint/control OR ayama=extension/expansion.
The yoga community has not settled on whether it’s ayama or yama —either way, in pranayama practices we explore both the control and the expansion of breath.
You could say we explore the expansion of energy through the control of the breath.
DIRGHA PRANAYAMA
Dirgha= stretched/long.
In this breath practice we are stretching out and lengthening the breath which helps to slow and deepen the breath, activating the parasympathetic nervous system while also creating a kind of internal massage for your organs!
STEP 1: Sit in a comfortable seated position (or try lying on the ground if you feel any discomfort doing this while seated).
STEP 2: While breathing in and out of your nose begin to notice the natural pace and depth of your breath. (If it feels comfortable close your eyes to help turn your attention inwards.)
STEP 3: Place a hand on your belly and softly begin to expand your belly on your inhale…and draw your belly towards your spine on the exhale.
Continue 2-3 more times.
Keep the belly soft. Your belly might feel really tight and you might feel like you need to force and push your belly to expand. No need to do this. With time the belly will expand with more ease.
STEP 4: This time, as you inhale, practice allowing your ribs to flare out to the sides. It can be helpful to place your hands on your ribs and feel them expand.
Exhale and release the ribs.
Repeat 2-3 more times.
STEP 5: Inhale into your chest, perhaps feeling the clavicle/collarbone lift.
STEP 6: Once you feel comfortable breathing into your belly, ribs, and chest combine all 3.
In one fluid breath feel your belly fill, then your ribs flare, and then your collarbone lift.
Exhale and let it all go.
STEP 6: Set your timer for anywhere from 1-10 minutes and practice filling belly, ribs, and chest on the inhale, and completely emptying your lungs on the exhale.
Aim for slow, fluid, deep breaths.
STEP 7: For one minute (or more!) just sit and notice the effects of Dirgha Pranayama on your body, mind, and spirit. (Noticing the after effects is just as important as actually doing the pranayama!)
DOES DIRGHA FEEL CHALLENGING FOR YOU?
Are you finding it easy to inflate your belly on the inhale or does it feel like a bit of a struggle?
When I first started Dirgha my belly felt really tight! I found out I had been a reverse breather all my life! I was drawing my belly in when I inhaled instead of letting it expand out. Not only did this lead to less mobility in my abdomen it also defaulted my breathing pattern to chest breathing which made me feel like I could never really take in a full breath which then led me to feeling anxious!
Even if you’re not a reverse breather you might still find you feel tightness around your belly— if that’s the case see if you can encourage a subtle and soft filling of the belly instead of forcing it to inflate beyond what feels comfortable and natural. Be gentle with your practice and gradually you might find that over time the breath deepens with more ease.
DOES DIRGHA INCREASE YOUR ANXIETY INSTEAD OF SOOTHE IT?
Your emotions and your breathing pattern are intimately connected. This is why breath work can be a great tool for emotional regulation. This is also why it could have the opposite effect and actually create dysregulation in some people.
Anxiety and fear often create a fast and shallow breathing pattern while joy and contentment create a slower and fuller breathing pattern (there are exceptions).🔹 For some people who live in a more anxious state focusing on the breath could increase awareness of the shallow/fast breathing pattern which could potentially make it worse. 🔹For some people who have experienced trauma (especially trauma relating to trouble breathing or feeling close to death) having to focus on the breath and in particular having to control the breath (as we do in pranayama) can be extremely triggering. 🔹For some people who have been living in a hyperaroused flight/flight state for a long time the muscles/fascia of the torso are chronically tight so getting the belly to expand when inhaling feels near to impossible. if this is the case for you but you’d like to learn to belly breathe know that you can take it slowly, be gentle with your belly, never force it to expand. gradually, overtime you may find it becomes easier to expand the belly.
if you are in a yoga class or any other setting where you are practicing breathwork know that you have full permission to take your attention off of your breath.
🔹orient yourself to the present moment by connecting to your 5 senses
🔹look around and bring your attention to a few different objects that interest you and be curious about colors, texture, shape.
🔹notice what you smell and taste, if anything.
🔹tune in to sounds around you bringing attention to far away sounds and nearby sounds.
🔹feel your feet on the earth.
🔹tune in to any other body part that feels neutral.
Above all: tune in to self-compassion. Allow this experience to be as it is knowing it will pass. Find refuge in the present moment and approach your exploration of the five senses with curiosity and compassion.
OK SO NOW YOU HAVE THE BASICS OF DIRGHA DOWN— WHAT’S NEXT?
Try practicing it at different times and see what feels good to you! Do it when you wake up, at your desk, in the shower, washing dishes… start integrating it into your every day life giving yourself a quick little internal massage and energy cleansing!
Make it even more relaxing and down-regulating for your nervous system by making your exhale longer than your inhale! .Start out by inhaling to a count of 4 and exhaling to a count of 4 and gradually lengthen the exhale to a count of 8.
Add a visualization! Visualize your favorite color entering and exiting your body. Visualize peaceful + loving energy entering your body on the inhale and fearful + dark energy leaving your body on the exhale.
Add a mantra! Inhale I make space for all that I am. Exhale I release all I am not.
Add breath retention! Explore holding your breath in for several counts at the top of your inhale. Rest in the steadiness, stillness and spaciousness of that moment.
What do the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali say about pranayama and breath retention?
…Sage Patanjali defines pranayama as the gap between inhalation and exhalation. Pranayama is usually considered to be the practice of controlled inhalation and exhalation combined with retention. However, technically speaking, it is only retention. Inhalation and exhalation are methods of inducing retention. Retention is most important because it allows a longer period for assimilation of prana, just as it allows more time for the exchange of gases in the cells, i.e. oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Sage Patanjali further says that retention of breath after expiration removes the obstacles to yoga. Yoga is the union of the two poles of energy within us. In mundane awareness these poles are separate from each other. In transcendental awareness these poles come closer together, and during retention the poles come closest together. Breath retention must be developed in order to stop the fluctuations of the brain and mind so that a more expansive type of experience can develop.
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika
CREATE A WHOLE MORNING RITUAL AROUND YOUR PRANAYAMA PRACTICE!
Light a candle…ring a bell… do something special to mark the beginning of your ritual.
Set an intention that you can embody in both your practice and throughout your day.
i.e. if your intention is “I move through life with ease and grace” explore how it feels to embody that intention as you breathe!
Take a moment to move your body in any way that feels good. Not sure where to start? Explore the 6 movements of the spine: forward flexion, extension, lateral flexion/extension (side bend), and rotation (a spinal twist). Check out this 10 minute practice that moves through the 6 movements of the spine.
Scan your body and mind. Check in with yourself. What is the current state of your body/mind and how does your breath move within that container?
Practice pranayama.
Feel the effects of the pranayama.
Meditate.
Reflect again on your intention for the day.
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE BREATH!
As a psychotherapist I’ve seen some powerful moments of emotional release precipitated by the client daring to breathe a little more deeply.
A soft belly, a deep inhale, a slow exhale…it’s enough to release tears that have been held back for years.
Sometimes we don’t realize to what extent we’ve been holding the breath.
It is powerful to be present with your breath- even without changing it- just being present with it as it is.
Allowing it to be.
Feeling the body pulse with the waves of breath.
Feeling the gentleness
the vulnerability
the gentle expansion and contraction.
Wishing you deeper breaths and greater joy.
The 3 keys to effectively dealing with emotional+physical pain
Emotional and physical pain are inevitable.
Suffering is optional.
(or so the Buddha said)
(and Eve says so, too!)
If you follow me on instagram and have been reading my posts you already know Yin Yoga and mindfulness meditation transformed my life- primarily by giving me relief from chronic pain (and the accompanying emotional pain).
Today I'm sharing with you three tools I learned from yin yoga + meditation that contributed greatly to my healing.
Here are three keys to effectively dealing with emotional and physical pain:
Observe emotional and physical pain with curiosity and kindness.
Through mindfulness meditation you can learn to connect with the wise, curious and kind part of yourself that is able to observe your experience without judgment.
Yin yoga is a fantastic opportunity to practice connecting with this part of yourself while experiencing discomfort so that when you experience discomfort or pain when you're off the mat you are better prepared to handle it.
Consciously relax the body when experiencing emotional and physical pain (the pelvic floor in particular!)
Next time you are experiencing physical or emotional pain or discomfort notice what happens to your body. Most of us will find that the whole body tightens as a way to protect itself. Sometimes we truly do need to protect ourselves but often this is only creating more pain. Consciously relaxing the body while experiencing pain can help you to integrate and process the experience in a way that minimizes the possibility of trauma and minimizes the possibility that the pain will linger in your body.
The pelvic floor is the only part of the body that when you relax it the rest of the body follows suit! The same cannot be said for relaxing the shoulders, the jaw or any other body part!
All of this is easier said than done which is why it takes practice! In yin yoga we can practice relaxing the body while experiencing discomfort.
Take it one breath at a time!
You'll be amazed at what you can withstand when you take it one breath at a time.
When you wonder how long something is going to last...like...the pain of a heartbreak...or...the pain of a sprained ankle...your suffering is exacerbated. Pain is amplified as you project it into the future and get lost in fantasies of how the pain is going to impact your life.
In yin yoga we learn that the pose becomes increasingly uncomfortable the more we wonder how long it's going to last.
The pose becomes increasingly more comfortable when you focus solely on the present moment by taking the experience of the pose one breath at a time.
Bubble Meditation
Are you addicted to thinking?
So are we all. The brain was made to think, and problem solve and get things done. The issue is that sometimes this function goes into overdrive and we become overwhelmed, anxious, depressed and essentially a victim of our thoughts.
Thinking is not in and of itself a problem; it is how we choose to relate to thoughts that makes the difference.
The following mindfulness meditation can help you to take a step back and observe your thoughts with kindness, without judgment and without getting too attached. Your mind will inevitably get attached to certain thoughts in this meditation and you'll find yourself falling down the rabbit hole of some fantasy or memory. This is OK! This is normal!! Every time this happens you have the opportunity to come back to an awareness of your thoughts with compassion and self-acceptance.
In this meditation you have the opportunity to observe your thoughts by visualizing them as bubbles that bubble up into your awareness and then float away. Perhaps you'll enjoy visualizing your thoughts like soap bubbles floating on the screen of your awareness or perhaps you'll prefer visualizing them as bubbles forming on the bottom of a pot of boiling water and popping as they reach the surface. Try them both and see what works for you!
“Thoughts are bubbles that are waiting to be popped by awareness”
BUBBLE MEDITATION
You might begin by setting a timer for 5 or 10 minutes.
Find a comfortable seat either on the ground or on a chair.
Begin by connecting with sensations in your body.
Feel into the sensation of the points of contact your body makes with the ground and/or the chair.
Connect with other senses as well: hearing, taste, smell, sight.
Just be curious as you open your awareness to the present moment.
Notice the sensation of breath moving in and out of your body.
bring your attention back to the breath with kindness every time you notice your mind wandering.
After a period of time observing the breath begin to observe your thoughts like little bubbles bubbling up from a boiling pot of water and popping when they reach the surface or you might imagine soap bubbles gently floating across the screen of your mind.
Whenever you get sucked into a thought (and you will get sucked in) gently bring your attention back to a spacious and kind awareness of your thoughts as they come and go. Can you observe them without judgement? Not preferring one thought to another. Perhaps it is helpful to you to label the contents of your thoughts: “planning” or “dreaming” or “fear” or “memory”.
Settle in to that feeling of spacious awareness around each thought bubble.
Spend as long as you'd like here just observing your thoughts, noticing when you get carried away, and bringing your attention back to nonjudgmental awareness of thoughts.
When you’re ready come back to your breath, come back to your body and release the meditation.
In this meditation you have a chance to be in relationship with your own ego. Notice how you are with yourself. Are you kind? judgmental? impatient? compassionate? Practicing this bubble meditation is a way to check in with the relationship you have with yourself and a way to become more intimate with the inner workings of your mind! Do you find that the majority of your thoughts are about planning? recalling memories? things you’re anxious about? I’m a planner. Totally addicted to planning. Anyone else?
If you'd like to dive deeper into the practice of self inquiry and strengthen your mindfulness practice join me for Finding Ease in Difficult Times, a 4 week series of classes that begins a week from today! We'll use the tools of yin yoga, mindfulness meditation, somatic journaling, stream of consciousness journaling and conversation to release stress, learn how to comfortably be with discomfort, develop a more intimate relationship with your body/mind and gracefully ride the waves of life.
October 15th-November 5th. 5:30-7PM EST. $35 per session or $130 when you pay for all 4 weeks at once!
Learn more here and absolutely feel free to e-mail me with any questions you have!
10 minute standing yoga sequence- perfect for mid-day work break
feel like you could use a good stretch-break during the work day but not sure what to do?
I've written out a very clear, very simple and VERY effective 10 minute yoga sequence that you can do standing next to your desk without a yoga mat! Put on your favorite music, set aside 10 minutes, and move your body! This sequence helps you to unite body, mind, and breath so you can proceed with your work day feeling more awake, clear-headed, focused, and maybe even a little more joyful!
4 playlists for yoga and meditation!
who doesn't love new music?
sign up below to get 4 playlists delivered to your inbox...and a fun bonus playlist!
The first playlist contains 47 minutes of soft and spacious music to help you have a beautiful start to your day. The soundscape of a peaceful early morning walk through the woods. You could listen to this while getting ready in the morning, making breakfast, or even while meditating and practicing yoga.
The second playlist is for those afternoons when you need to take a 30 minute break, lie down, and maybe do some restorative or yin yoga before you move on with your day.
The third playlist is perfect for a 75 minute Hatha or Vinyasa practice!
The fourth guides you on your journey Yinward! Perfect for an hour of Yin Yoga.
BONUS
Need to boost your energy and get your body moving? You'll also get a 5th playlist to DANCE. IT. OUT!
B. R. F. W. A.
Breathe Relax Feel Watch Allow!
A Kripalu classic!
All Kripalu trained yoga teachers learn to use this in each yoga pose, in meditations, and in everyday life!
BRFWA pronounced BRIF-WA is an easy technique you can use when things get heated, when you’re stressed, overwhelmed, in an argument, or in a challenging yoga pose…OR just when you want to be more present!
BREATHE: When you are experiencing a challenging moment whether it be a yoga pose your teacher is making you hold for what feels like forever, or a wave of anxiety, or you’re having a difficult conversation, just remembering to breathe can make all the difference. Deep breathing can help to break up the stuck energy in your body and to allow for more internal flow. The breath can also help shift your nervous system from fight/flight to rest/digest.
RELAX: Scan your body for any tension and invite the body to soften. Common areas of tension are the jaw, shoulders, belly, and hips.
FEEL: now that we have released tension it is a bit easier to truly feel what is going on physically, emotionally, and mentally. It can be a courageous act to truly let ourselves feel the experience. See if you can do this without judgement. Notice sensations, emotions, thoughts. Be curious as you navigate your internal landscape.
WATCH: Now step back from your experience and observe sensations, emotions, and thoughts as if you are the blue sky and they are all clouds passing by. Watch as your experience shifts, ebbs, and flows. You are the steady anchor observing the waves of life. You are the witness. From here you have perspective on the current situation.
ALLOW: now let go of any doing- - any desire to make something happen- allow the experience to be as it is, we let go, we ride the waves of experience. Let yourself feel exactly what you’re feeling—even if the emotions seem odd, out of place, annoying, frustrating, allow it to move through you.
4 quick ways to connect to your body
Listening to the body opens up the doorway to your intuition and your deep personal truths. In order to listen to the body you have to be connected to the body…so…how do we do this?
Watch the video above for 4 quick ways to connect to the body.
do a brief body scan
mindfully bring your awareness to your five senses one at a time
place both feet flat on the floor and tune in to the sensations you feel
take deep and long belly breaths
All of the above is described in more detail in the video!
Here are some other things to be aware of when establishing a connection with your body and learning to listen to its messages!
1. acknowledge the mind doesn’t know everything! learn to surrender the thinking mind to the wisdom of the body. Do this by practicing being more attuned to your 5 senses, doing regular body scans, and doing anything that gives you the space+time to be present with your body.
2. learn the language of your body. You already know the language of your mind- it speaks to you in words and images. What is the language of the body? S E N S A T I O N. It's possible colors, images, and words will also arise.
3. Resist judgement. When listening to the body It’s easy to judge what comes up and to question if what arose was from your body or your mind or if you should take any of it seriously. Trust what your body is telling you.
4. Figure out where you’re currently at in your journey of relating to your body. When you close your eyes and connect to your body does it feel safe? easy? loving? Does it feel strange? foreign? uncomfortable? Try not to judge what comes up. Wherever you are is where you are. That’s where you begin. Maybe the only part of your body it feels good to connect with is your right index finger, or your feet, or perhaps just the space around your body.
4. Breathe! Taking time for conscious breathing can help move blocked energy in the body and reawaken sensation. Taking a few breaths can also help re-establish a connection to your body when you’ve been feeling disconnected.
5. Simply ask your body what it needs. You might not be sure at first if you're getting an answer but practice asking at least once a day--eventually you’ll find you get answers right away. A stretch! a walk! a nap! human connection! Listen. the body knows.
6.Sometimes no profound message emerges other than gratitude from your body for seeing it + being with it. In a time where we’re so often in our heads + out of our bodies great healing can emerge by consciously attending to the body.
Webinar: Human Connection in Virtual Spaces with Eve Marie Mugar and Emily Jeanne Brown
Five Senses Meditation
Five Senses Meditation. When experiencing anxiety, stress, and overwhelm one of the most helpful things you can do is to connect with the here and now. Often anxiety and overwhelm can be a result of worrying about the future, thinking about the many things you have to do, and feeling helpless. The solution to this is to connect with the simplicity of the present moment. One way to do this is to practice a Five Senses Meditation. This helps you connect with reality instead of the imagined reality you're worrying about. In a five senses meditation you spend about one minute meditating on each sense: sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing. After doing this you might find that one sense felt particularly good to sit with. Perhaps you’ll want to linger a bit longer on listening to the sounds around you, or just sitting and feeling the sensations in your body.
10 ways to reduce stress + overwhelm
Are you feeling burnt out? Is your nervous system feeling taxed? Maybe you’ve recently been pushed to your limit or perhaps stress just feels like a normal part of your life.
Throughout my twenties I reached my limit far too often and stress-related (or at least stress-exacerbated) health issues had me brushing shoulders with … d e s p a i r. I was desperate to slow down, to find my way to peace, to feel joy.
I thank the universe every day that I was given the opportunity to spend a year at Kripalu Center where I deepened my practice of yoga and meditation and discovered a lifestyle that allowed me to have the peace, joy, and freedom I sought.
Below I’m sharing 10 practices and actions I now employ to shift my inner experience when I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Everyone is different so I’ve offered a variety of options. You might find they all suit you, or only one or two feel right to you. If any of them feel like they exacerbate anxiety then try a different one. For some people closing their eyes and meditating feels wonderful, and for others it feels awful. You have to find what works for you.
Five Senses Meditation. When experiencing anxiety, stress, and overwhelm one of the most helpful things you can do is to connect with the here and now. Often anxiety and overwhelm can be a result of worrying about the future, thinking about the many things you have to do, and feeling helpless. The solution to this is to connect with the simplicity of the present moment. One way to do this is to practice a Five Senses Meditation. This helps you connect with reality instead of the imagined reality you're worrying about. In a five senses meditation you spend about one minute meditating on each sense: sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing. After doing this you might find that one sense felt particularly good to sit with. Perhaps you’ll want to linger a bit longer on listening to the sounds around you, or just sitting and feeling the sensations in your body. You can try my Five Senses Meditation here on Soundcloud and here on youtube.
Take 5 minutes for conscious breathing. Another way to get present is to breathe. The breath is always happening in the present moment. When we’re aware of each inhale and each exhale we are fully present. If your mind is going wild set your timer for anywhere from 1-5 minutes and stay present with your breath. You could say “in” as you breathe in and “out” as you breathe out, or “rising” as your belly fills and “falling” as your belly empties. Or you might try the 4-7-8 breath: breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7, exhale for a count of 8. Making your exhale longer than your inhale activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System (rest+digest). You could also try “box breathing” where you inhale on a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, and continue with this rhythm. To learn a bit more about taking full and deep breaths into your whole torso check out my post on the yogic three part breath known as Dirgha breath. . You could also try alternate nostril breathing, Nadi Shodhana.
Restorative Yoga. If you’re feeling totally burnt out and just want to lie down and do nothing give restorative yoga a try. Taking 20-60 minutes to practice restorative yoga could be just what you need to let go of what’s been on your mind and give yourself a break from worrying about what’s next. The more you practice restorative yoga the better you’ll get at just dropping into the pose and giving yourself the time to just rest. Click here to learn more about restorative yoga and to try a 30 minute practice click here.
Take a break….from your senses. One of the most helpful things you can do for your nervous system is to take breaks for sensory deprivation…or at least sensory reduction. For example, have you tried a media fast? What about a social media fast? Taking a break from the news, tv, movies, facebook, instagram and the like can give your nervous system a break. In yoga the practice of sensory deprivation is known as Pratyahara (the fifth limb of the eight limbs of yoga). Whereas in the Five Senses Meditation we found peace and stillness through connecting to the senses, here my suggestion is to disconnect from the senses. This might mean going into one of those sensory deprivation float tanks, it might mean practicing restorative yoga on your own without any audio and with an eye mask on, or it could mean just taking a break from tv for a week, or facebook, or even music! You’ll see further down that music is on my list of things that are helpful for the nervous system, but I really recommend seeing what happens when you take a break from different kinds of sensory stimulation. Many of us don’t even realize how over-stimulated we are. Because of smart phones we have access to sensory stimulation 24/7. Give yourself a break and see what happens. (One of my favorite ways to practice Pratyahara is to take a day of silence…I’ll write a post about this soon!)
Shift Your Perspective. Sometimes this feels impossible, and you’ll know when this feels appropriate or not, but at times shifting your perspective by reflecting on what you’re grateful for can be just the pick-me-up you needed. And yes, I know, gratitude. It’s one of those words that’s been used so much that I feel it’s lost some of its power. But it keeps coming up because there’s actual research proving its positive effects on the mind/body. If you can’t stop thinking about what’s going on in the world, you feel totally drained, and you can’t imagine taking positive action because all you want to do is curl up in a ball and sleep, it might be time to…curl up in a ball and feel grateful. Stress and fear can narrow your perspective so all you see is what’s upsetting, but gratitude can expand your perspective by filling your body and mind with a sense of aliveness opening your mind to possibility.
Don’t let what you can’t do get in the way of doing what you can do. This is my favorite quote and something that I remind myself of at least once a week. Having dealt with chronic pain and an overwhelmed nervous system for most of my twenties the most important thing for me to remember was to focus on what I could do and not on what I couldn’t. This is a potent mantra for the times we’re living in when many of us feel overwhelmed by the profound injustices in our society. I know at times I get discouraged when I think about everything I want to change in the world and how helpless I feel, but thinking like this doesn’t help much of anything. What does help is sitting down and making a list of what I can do to make a change.
Transform Stress into Creative Energy. Transforming your pain into something else through creative means can feel very empowering. If you’ve got an hour to spare and the weight of the world on your shoulders why don’t you take 5-10 minutes to stream of consciousness pour your heart mind and soul out into a journal, then choose a sentence or two that really stick out to you, and let it inspire a collage, or a painting, or a song, or a dance!
Commune with Nature! Hug a tree! Smell some grass! Eat some dirt! Lick a toad! Whatever you gotta do! Get out there! Marvel at the expansive sky. Walk barefoot on the earth. Swim in the ocean, a pond, a lake. Gaze at a tree, a flower, a bush. Remember you are nature. Remember you are part of something bigger. Breathe it in. Marvel at it. Move with it. Breathe it in. Breathe it out.
Mantra Meditation. Mantra meditation can be very steadying for the mind. Choose a mantra that makes you feel grounded. To learn more about mantra meditation click here and try out the mantra “my roots run deep into the center of the living earth” as you visualize your energy rooting down into the ground beneath you. You might also use the Bhu mudra which has grounding effects.
Music! As someone who has a deep love for music, both playing and listening, it blows my mind that sometimes I forget what an amazing tool this can be for relieving stress and anxiety. I am a compulsive playlist maker which really comes in handy when I’m feeling overwhelmed and just need to lie down and be cradled by the music I love. Take some time to make playlists of music that makes you happy, that soothes your soul, that makes you feel optimistic, or maybe that helps you to cry and makes you feel all the feels! While you're at it make a playlist to dance to and dance your cares away!
There is no one size fits all when it comes to what will make you feel better. I made this list so that when you start feeling overwhelmed you know there are things that can be done. I have a lists like this in my phone for when I’m sick, if I have a pain flare up, if I’m feeling anxious, feeling down. It’s in those moments that we forget that there are things that can be done.
If you have anything to add to this list share them in the comments below! What have you been doing these days to keep your mood up, to feel grounded, to mitigate stress?
Wishing you deeper breaths and greater joy.
Restorative Yoga: The antidote for 2020.
2020 has been no joke. We all have experienced it in different ways, but it feels safe to say that for many of us there has been a huge increase in stress levels.
There’s a lot going on.
There’s always a lot going on, and everything is always in a state of flux, but when we’re all sitting at home it’s harder to ignore it.
You want to know what you can do that takes only thirty minutes and will take you from feeling like a stressed mess to feeling like an ocean of bliss?
R E S T O R A T I V E Y O G A !!!
I’ve hardly wanted to practice Vinyasa or Hatha in the last few months. All I’ve wanted and needed is Restorative or Yin Yoga.
Read on to learn what a restorative yoga practice could do for your life, and then watch the video below to experience it for yourself!
After practicing restorative yoga I feel C A L M, S P A C I O U S, K I N D, J O Y F U L, S O F T, O P E N, and READY for whatever is next whether that’s a difficult conversation I need to feel cool calm and collected for, wanting to feel connected on a deeper level to friends and family, getting work done with a focused and clear mind, getting a deeply restful night’s sleep, or just living my best life!
How does restorative yoga help me with all of the above?
Restorative yoga will shift you out of your sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight) to your parasympathetic nervous system (rest+digest).
In 2017 the WHO estimated that “by 2020, stress-related disorders will be the second leading cause of disabilities in the world”." Wow. Did they have a psychic working for them? Did they know that stress would sky-rocket in 2020?
We know it’s important to take time to relax, but the question is: do you know HOW to relax? How to relax in a way that leaves you feeling restored? That boosts your immune system? That makes you feel like a delicious puddle of bliss?
How often do you have time to relax and you reach for a bottle of wine that might make you feel less than fantastic after, or reach for your phone to mindlessly scroll through social media only to bombard your mind with photo after photo of what other people are doing with their lives which then sends you into a self-comparison spiral, or maybe the moment you are done with work you are planning for what you have to do the following day.
We need moments of silence.
We need moments of nothing.
We need moments to just be.
When practicing Restorative Yoga you take a shape with your body, sometimes flat on the floor and sometimes propped up with lots of pillows and blocks and blankets, and you hang out there for anywhere from 5-20 minutes and just let yourself BE. That’s the key. Letting yourself BE instead of making yourself DO. There’s nothing to DO.
The time you spend practicing Restorative Yoga might be the only time of the day that you allow yourself to really rest, that you allow yourself to feel supported, that you allow yourself to L E T G O.
Ideally you want to set yourself up with enough props in each pose that you feel fully supported, super comfy, and you can fully surrender your body weight into the props and into the ground.
With a restorative yoga practice you will learn to soften your mind and to soften your body. As your body softens you will have more room for breath. As you take deeper breaths (in particular longer exhales), you will activate your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). When you activate the PNS you can finally relax. When you relax your body softens even more. When your body softens more your breathing becomes easier…and so on and so on…until you melt into a puddle on the floor ;)
It’s time for you to take a break, give your weight to the earth, and let yourself be. Learn to be soft with yourself, kind with yourself, and to just be with yourself. Life is hard. It just is. It’s full of struggle, suffering, and the unknown. But there is also an opportunity to create more space for peace, for joy, and for bliss.
One roadblock some people encounter when practicing restorative yoga is that we are so used to doing, taking action, working, and planning that sometimes we don’t quite know how to relax. If you find that your mind won’t stop going, that’s totally normal. This is a practice. As you practice restorative yoga, yin yoga, or meditation over time you gradually get better at being with your thoughts and feelings and softening into the present moment. Over time you will also get better at detecting habitual holding patterns of tension in your body and mind. Eventually you will notice the tension in your body even when you’re not practicing yoga and you can mindfully let go throughout the day. Relaxing is a practice.
On a meditation retreat I did at IMS last year I kept repeating this phrase to myself:
(I love a nice alliterative phrase).
I came up with this phrase when I realized that every time I got lost in thought (concepts) my body would contract, but when I connected with the present moment (reality) my body would relax. In restorative yoga, and yin yoga, meditation, and in every day life I practice this again and again. I notice my body is tense, perhaps take note of what “concept” or thought was in my mind, and then I consciously relax my body. I do this all day long, and I know I wouldn’t be as good at letting go as I am if I didn’t have practices like Restorative Yoga in my life.
When you’re able to carve out 30 minutes follow along with the video below. You’ll just need a couple of pillows and a nice little corner of your home to get cozy in.
If you take the class and enjoy it let me know in the comments on the video (and subscribe to my channel!), or come back here to let me know what you thought!
If you love listening to music during class try this playlist I made especially to go along with this video! Start from the beginning and play all the way through if you like music during meditation and savasana, or start on the second song when you take the first pose and turn it off before savasana.
Wishing you deeper breaths, and greater joy.
-Eve
the miracle is now
The Miracle Is Now #thingsthatcometomeinmeditation#meditationrevelation
Miracle: “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.”
To me that definition means every moment is a miracle. Can you explain your very existence? The existence of this earth? This universe?
Some of you might try to reason your way through it and talk about the big bang. Sure, we sort of understand some of how this all came to be. But what existed before the big bang? Some scientists say “the universe was an infinite stretch of an ultrahot, dense material, persisting in a steady state”. Oh ok cool, and what existed before that? Did it exist forever? How long is forever? Can you wrap your head around the idea of the possible nothingness that existed before that ultra hot dense universe?
The fact that any of this exists is some kind of miracle.
We pray, meditate, visualize, imagine, hope for miracles.
Can you feel the miracle of
the present moment
your breath
your existence
The origin of the word “miracle” is the latin “miraculum”
which means “object of wonder”
Can your very existence be
the object of your wonder?
Can you feel that every moment
is a miracle?
When I find myself grasping, striving, wanting, needing…
it relaxes me to know
the Miracle is Now.
Dhyana Mudra
Dhyana mudra.
It’s possible you’re familiar with this mudra from paintings or statues of the Buddha.
Dhyana mudra is helpful for grounding yourself in reality and for letting illusion fall away. The right hand symbolizing wisdom rests on top of the left hand which symbolizes illusion.
This mudra is also meant to help you connect with a sense of inner peace.
The best way I can describe how I feel when practicing Dhyana mudra is “connected”. I feel connected to myself and very tuned in to what is going on in my body and mind. I find that the feeling of contact between my two thumbs keeps me focused in the present moment- especially if I rest the hands on my belly and feel the thumbs draw slightly away from one another on the inhale, and feel them press deeper into each other on the exhale.
If this is the first of my mudra posts you are reading and you have never tried a mudra I suggest starting with this one! Dhyana mudra is simple to remember how to do and can be very helpful to you in your meditation practice if you have trouble staying tuned in to the present moment.
It is said that the triangular shape formed underneath your thumbs and above your palms represents the three jewels of Buddhism: Buddha, Sangha (community) and dharma (teachings).
It is also said that Dhyana mudra helps with healing—though I think that is true of all the mudras!
To practice Dhyana mudra
1. rest hands palm face up right hand on top of left.
2. lightly bring your thumbs to touch.
Add this to the beginning or end of your yoga practice, at the beginning of your meditation practice to help focus your mind, or just sit and breathe while holding this mudra for five minutes.
Let me know if you try it!
In this week’s mini yin practice I’m contemplating the “powerful unbounded consciousness” that I am. As I practice I visualize softening the boundary of skin and flesh that “separates” me from all that is. I allow my mind to soften along with my skin, my muscles, my ego. As I allow all this to melt my breath is allowed more room to expand and my spirit to expand with it. I am not “trying” to expand, but allowing it to be as powerful and unbounded as it is.
Shoelace: this pose can be quite intense in that it creates a lot of sensation in the hips. The knees are meant to be stacked one on top of the other but if this is too uncomfortable feel free to place a block/blanket between the knees or outstretch and straighten the bottom leg so only the top leg is bent. Breeaaaathe deeply in this pose. Continuously remind yourself to soften your face. Often the pleasure in this pose is in the release! Stay upright for 3-5 minutes or begin to fold forward after a minute if it feels good in your body.
When you release this pose you might feel creaky and achey. Take your time as you outstretch your legs, lean into your hands and let yourself feel the echo of the pose in your body.
Melting Heart: If hanging out here feels uncomfortable you might like to try this with a prop under your elbows/triceps! Inhale expansive energy through the crown of your head, exhale limiting beliefs through the heart center.
Bridge: In the image the block is at the highest setting but you could even try this with a couple of pillows under your sacrum for a more restorative version. What is your relationship to having your heart open and vulnerable? Do you feel better able to allow the heart to be open when the back feels supported? As you lie here, with each exhale can you soften your resistance to allowing the front body and the heart to open?
Legs up/snail: Lie here and contemplate the existence of your toes! If it feels good in your body you can drop your legs straight back behind your head into Snail pose (or what you might know as Plow Pose) either keeping you legs straight, or bending them and bringing the knees to the ears.
Always take several breaths between each pose to rest+feel
Hakini Mudra
Finding it easier to drop in to your meditation session when using a mantra but want to take your level of focus (dharana) to the next level? Hakini mudra to the rescue! This is the mudra for focus, concentration, memory, and clarity.
This is my go to mudra before I need to sit down for a couple hours of paper writing.
In Hakini mudra we create a complete circuit of energy in the body by bringing the fingers to touch. It is said that this mudra helps to bring together the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
When I practice Hakini mudra I like to imagine all my scattered energy being drawn back into the center where I can allow it to settle.
Sit with this mudra for anywhere from 2-10 minutes or until you feel ready to focus on your task at hand!
Let me know if you try it out!
This sequence begins with 3 forward folds for encouraging introversion and focus.
Hold each pose for 3-5 minutes.
1. Caterpillar: unlike your classic seated forward fold make sure your feet are not flexed and the muscles in the legs are relaxed. USE AS MANY PROPS AS NEEDED! Sit on a blanket/cushion. Place blocks/bolster/blanket under knees. Place a bolster/pillows on your legs to support your torso. Prop up your head with fists. As you rest here you might imagine thoughts draining out of your forehead as you allow the earth to absorb them. After 3-5 minutes slowly release the pose by bringing your hands behind you to prop yourself up. Sit & feel the echo of the pose in your body.
2. Butterfly: Same rules apply here: make sure you support yourself as much as necessary. If you find it hurts to have your knees bent in this way make sure you place something underneath. Now that you have dropped in to your body with caterpillar you might be ready to begin shifting into the “flow” phase. Connect with a sense of flow in your body. Even if you do not feel any flow you can encourage it by deepening your breath and/or visualizing that the sensations you feel are flowing through your entire body instead of remaining stagnant.
3. Sleeping Swan: (aka pigeon). This pose often stirs up a lot of sensation. Can you take a step back from the sensation and observe it without judgement? Notice the ebb&flow of sensation&breath. In this pose practice cultivating your ability to witness your experience without reacting. Even when you have a desire to move can you observe the sensation and just let that be? (if you have a desire to move because you are in pain- please move!)
4. Supported Side Bend: in this pose you place a bolster/pillows under the side of the torso underneath the armpit. You can have the knees bent or straight. The arms can be alongside the ears if comfortable. After a minute or so you might keep the knees/legs where they are as you roll on to your back into a supine twist. This is the pose to “let go”. To let yourself be. Allow. Surrender. Nothing to do but just be.
Taking 20 minutes to do this could totally turn your day around! Let me know if you try it!
Mantra Meditation
"Dharana", the sanskrit word for “concentration” is the sixth limb of the eight limbs of yoga. Once the mind is focused you can meditate, which is “dhyana” the seventh limb. Then comes “samadhi”, or “enlightenment”, the eighth limb. These three final limbs can also be thought of as “focus, flow, and let go”. (I think I first heard that from my teacher Sudhir Jonathan Foust). ⠀
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For there to be freedom in the mind there must first be focus. We can find that focus through mantra meditation.⠀
As I mentioned last week 98% of our thoughts are the same thoughts we thought yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that! Mantra meditation is a great way to insert a new thought into your daily thought carousel, and a great way to focus the mind for meditation.⠀
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So far I’ve shared the mantra “my roots run deep into the center of the living earth” and I will continue to share more. You also can make up your own phrase or just choose a word.
Some to get you started:
OM
I am that I am
I am enough
I am where I am meant to be
Peace
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In meditation you can choose many things to focus on: breath, sound, sensation, etc… no matter what you choose to focus on all you have to do is come back to your point of focus every time you realize you have wandered off into some fantasy or a rabbit hole of thoughts. In this case you will come back to your mantra. ⠀
You can repeat the mantra in your mind until you feel you’ve “dropped in” to a flow state and are ready to let go of it. You could also begin by repeating it out loud, then whisper it, then just repeat it in your head. ⠀
Try it out and see how it goes!⠀
Happy mantra-ing! ⠀
Ksepana Mudra
The mudra for letting go. ⠀
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I have experienced feeling fairly “empty” after practicing this mudra so If you would like to add Ksepana mudra to this week’s Yin practice (see previous post) I would suggest sitting in meditation with the mudra for a few minutes and then transitioning into the yin poses to ground you and get you back into your body. ⠀
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Ksepana mudra is for emptying yourself of negative energy to make space for new and positive energy! Negative energy includes physical ailments and negative thoughts, experiences, and memories. ⠀
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As you hold the mudra visualize what you want to let go of and imagine you can let go a little bit more with each exhaaaaale. ⠀
You can hold the mudra in front of your heart, or point your fingers down in a gesture of letting go and releasing. If you are lying down you can point the fingers towards your feet. ⠀
Sit with this mudra for a few minutes, add it to your meditation, or begin and/or close your yin or other asana practice with it!
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Let me know if you try it- and how it feels!! Happy mudra-ing! ⠀