by Abigail Stevenson EAT STRETCH NAP™ Instructor // New York // abigailstevenson.yoga

Coming into Body: Deep Breathing

Step both feet on the ground. Place hands palm down on legs, soften eyes, and physically connect to the breath

Don’t manipulate the breath, just feel where it lives

Breath can be in and out through the nose or let a sigh out through the mouth

Think about the breath expanding in 4 directions

Add ingredient of “hearing breath” so you are consciously filling yourself up

Hearing is about stability, breathing is about ability-- connect the two so you are supported.

Kapalbhati Breath (Grace and Effort)

This is a breath for energy and to clear the mind. It also increases oxygen flow (Oxygen consumption rates during Kapalabhati are approximately 1.1–1.8 times higher than while sitting quietly)

How to set up: Bring arms out into a V and shape the palms into cups. Take a big breath in through the nose and then exhale out through the mouth… breathe in half way through the nose and then start to pump breath out through the nose by pulling the navel in and up towards the spine and pumping the breath from the belly. Do as long as needed and when you are done, breathe in 3 times through the mouth and hold the breath full… then exhale out through the mouth.

Note: This breath is not to be done on the first few does of moon cycle, if pregnant, or if it’s been fewer than 3 months postpartum

Shoulder Flossing

Interlace fingers in front of chest, and then lengthen arms above head. Bend at the right elbow and draw the palms facing up behind your head, to the left and then back up towards the ceiling so you start to make a circle with your palms. Move one way, and then move the other way. Try to keep the palms facing up towards the ceiling the whole time.

The tendency here is to compensate and spread through the rib cage—try to draw the ribs slightly in by drawing the pubic bone slightly forward.

Eagle Arm Cat/Cows

Bring the right hand to your left knee and your left hand to sacrum for a twist to the left, then reach left arm up towards the ceiling, turn the torso to face forward, and then left hand finds your right knee and you dome the spine like an angry cat and puff up the space in between your shoulder blades, wrap your right arm underneath your left in eagle arms by crossing at the elbows, then as you breathe in arc the spine and reach arms above you and then inhale to curl the spine and draw the elbows towards the navel—do the curls with eagle arms about 3 times on each side and then do the sequence on the other side.

Good for opening shoulders and low back.

Breath of Seasons

Inhale to visualize the season of Spring rising up the front body, hold the breath above you and let Summer ripen, exhale to let the breath descend down your back for Fall, and then hold the breath empty beneath you for Winter and insight. Repeat as long as needed, it’s a very calming breath.