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breath awareness meditation { fill yourself up with light }

Feeling full of uck, muck, and yuck? I know, me too. Whether it's Mercury in Retrograde, the discombobulating seasonal shift, or that damned spring-ahead nonsense, strange things are afoot at the Circle K (please tell me you've seen Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure). Instead of plunking ourselves down in these swampy sensations, this is when we most need our yogic tools to set us free!

This Kundalini Breath Awareness Meditation is just what the yoga doctor ordered. With practice, it will bring you:

• BALANCE
• LIGHTNESS IN YOUR HEART
• AWARENESS + AN INTIMATE UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR PRANA
• EXPANSIVENESS + A SENSE OF CONNECTION WITH THE COSMOS

 

{ HOW TO }

1. Begin in Easy Pose.
2. Hands may be pressed together at the heart in Anjali Mudra (see cute stick yogini above) or rested on the knees in Gyan Mudra.
3. Close your eyes and turn them softly upward to your third eye/brow point.
4. Inhale, watching the breath without trying to change it. Feel it filling you up from navel to brow.
5. Exhale, and let it all go. Release anything that doesn't serve your highest you.
6. Continue inhaling and exhaling naturally. Breathe in light; you are unbounded and luminous.

 

{ NOTES }

• begin with practicing for 3 minutes. Yogi Bhajan recommended anywhere from 3 to 62 minutes for this meditation.
• practice in silence so you can focus on your breath.
• as Yogi Bhajan said, "Let the breath breathe you."

 

You'll experience a vast transformation if you practice this for 40 days, but if you can't, just do what is possible. Meditations are always there for you to pick up (for 1 day or 100) whenever you need them.

 

How awesome is stick yogini's do-rag turban?!

breath meditation series for glandular balance { 40-day kundalini meditation }

artwork credit: hari jot kaur { with colorful additions by YIFY }

This set of three breath exercises balances the Ninth body — the Subtle Body. I practiced it for the first time just one week ago and felt so clear, purified, and radiant that I was certain I'd look down and find myself walking on air.

We work on the Subtle Body so that we may see beyond the illusion of "reality." Yogi Bhajan said that when you master the Subtle Body, you:

• have great finesse
• have powerful calmness
• master situations easily
• are able to walk into a room and intuitively know what is going on 

1. Begin in Easy Pose. Inhale in 16 short sniffs, pulling the navel in slightly with each one. As you sniff, hear the mantra "Sat Nam" { meaning: I am Truth / Truth is my Identity } in your mind. Exhale in 16 parts, again vibrating Sat Nam in your mind. Do this for 5 minutes.
2. Lay down on your back. Stretch your arms out overhead (on the ground) with the palms up. Inhale slowly and raise your legs 6 inches. Exhale, releasing your legs to the ground, and press your chin to your chest. Continue on for 3 minutes. The breath for this exercise should be long, slow, and deep. After 3 minutes, rest for 2.
3. Return to Easy Pose. Fold your arms across your chest/ribs and hold opposite elbows. Inhale. Exhale, bending forward slowly and placing your forehead on the ground. Inhale up slowly. Continue for 3 minutes. Breath is long, slow, and deep.

Notes:

• It is suggested that you cycle through this set three times.
• I have found that one cycle { 11 minutes of activity } is quite powerful.
• See the illustrations above for visual details.
• A timer or phone with a twinkly alarm is very helpful in tracking the timing for each exercise.

Today, I'll dive into 40 days of this amazing meditation series. Join me to work on infinite consciousness. I'm always here to answer your questions and serve in any way I can — even if you find this years from now. :)

Sending you love and the radiance of balancing your subtle body,

humming bee breath { 40-day pranayama kriya }

photo credit: desktop.qkype.com

I buzzed past this breath exercise by happy happenstance a few days ago. With a quick glance, it {thankfully!} pollinated my mind and I used it later that evening to quell a swarm of anxiety. I'm excited to share it with you and practice it as a kriya for the next 40 days, because this busy bee needs it. :)

Humming Bee Breath is also known as Brahmari — the Sanskrit word for bee. Akin to chanting Aum, the vibrations created here calm the mind, body, and spirit. When we tap into sound, we tap into the present. Bee here now.

Benefits:

• Calms like no other. You'll see.
• Brings you to the honey-sweetness of the moment.
• Melts tension, letting it drip-drop away until there's none left.
• Teaches and furthers smoothness and evenness of breath.
• Increases circulation, tones the vocal cords, and quiets the mind.

How To:

1. Begin in Sukhasana or an even, comfortable-for-you seated pose.
2. Rest your hands on or near your knees. (Palms up for receptivity. Palms down for grounding.)
3. Close your eyes.
4. Inhale slowly and deeply through the nose.
5. Hum the letter M — "Mmmmmmmmm" — in an even tone as you exhale. Hum until the very bottom of your exhalation, but do not strain.
6. Repeat this inhale/humming exhale cycle for as long as it feels good/as long as you need to. (For some this is a few breaths, for others, a few minutes. If you'd like a set amount of time, try 3 minutes.)
7. With your last humming exhalation, take a few normalizing breaths and close.

Notes:

• The longer your humming exhalation, the more it soothes, but make sure to stay in a comfortable zone.
• See yourself as a golden, peaceful, content bee blessed with a life of sweet petals and honey.

Humming Bee Breath Videos:

• #1
• #2

Are you feeling fly yet? ;) Purify your inner hive with humming bee breath.

sanskrit word of the week { #1 }: kumbhaka

Sanskrit is a gorgeous language with deep, luscious, expansive roots. Like many things new and unfamiliar, it can either strike fear/discomfort or inspire curiosity and stoke learning. I invite you to cultivate the latter, to open your arms wide to a tongue and script that may eventually feel like home. Or a lovely place to visit.

On an impish note, Sanskrit is also good for faux cussing. Pick a word, shake your fist at the sky, and shout it out. Instant stress-reliever, head-turner, and diffuser. Nine times out of ten, you're really just calling someone — or your current circumstances — a turtle, a type of mudra, or an inoffensive body part. Foooooooot!

• Kumbhaka means pitcher, jar, pot. Think: container.
• It is also the term used for breath retention — on both the inhale and the exhale.
• When you inhale and retain the breath, your container is full. Expansive.
• When you exhale and retain the breath, your container is empty. Receptive.
• In The Heart of Yoga, Desikachar has this to impart, "...as it is held the breath is at rest, and with it so hopefully is the mind."
• During the day, remember to bring your attention to your breath. Fill your jar completely and experience this feeling. Then empty your pot fully and stay tapped in.

Word to the wise: you'll always remember Kumbhaka if you sing my remixed tune...

"Kumbhaka my lord, kuuuuuummmbhaaaakaaa." Be sure to hold your own hand and sit by a crackling fire. Breathing mandatory. S'mores optional.

sitali pranayam { cooling breath for 40 days }

artwork credit: ann marie maxwell { with colorful additions by YIFY } photo credit: life magazine

The cool factor. How to get it? Practice Sitali Pranayam — also known as Cooling Breath. If you're hot or hot-headed, this is your cure. :)

Benefits of Sitali:

• regulates digestive + sexual energy
• relaxes the body + mind
• cools anger + fever
• detoxifies
• brings concentration + clarity + calm

1. Sit in Easy Pose with a straight spine.
2. Take Gyan Mudra { first finger and thumb touching } and rest your hands on your knees.
3. Curl your tongue { like making a "taco" when you were a kid } by curving the sides upward. Let your tongue stick out just past your lips. 
4. NOTE: If your tongue doesn't curl, bend the sides up as much as you can and make a slight "o" with your mouth. You'll still get the cooling drag of air across your tongue exactly as intended.
5. Inhale deeply through the tongue and mouth. You'll feel a cooling sensation as the air glides through your tongue. Breathe into the belly, filling yourself up.
6. Exhale fully through your nose.
7. Repeat this cycle for 3 minutes. You can also do 26 repetitions in the morning and again in the evening, or you can commit to a full 108 repetitions for each day. Do what is right for you.
8. To close, on the last inhale, retain your breath. Exhale and relax.

Notes:

• The tongue may taste bitter at first — a sign of detoxification and purification. This is good! As you continue to practice, your tongue will become sweet.
• The shifts you'll feel after practicing Sitali Pranayam are profound, like stepping out of an old you and into a new, clear, purified self.

Sitali Videos, for the Visual Learners:

• Gurmukh (love her!)
• Narrated by Carolyn Cowan

On Wednesday, June 15th, I'll be diving in to 40 days of Sitali Pranayam — making it my next 40-day Kundalini Kriya. It's perfect for Summer and excess Pitta energy. Jump on the Sitali train with me! I guarantee it'll rock your world. I'm here to answer any questions you have along the journey. And if you want to send pics of yourself making the taco face, I promise I'll cherish them always. :D

Much Love + Coolness!