SO I'D LOVE TO LEAD YOU
THROUGH A COUPLE OF EXERCISES THAT I USE VERY OFTEN,
VERY SIMPLE, LINKING BODY TO BREATH.
AND SO IF YOU COULD BRING YOURSELF,
YOU CAN DO THIS ANYWHERE,
AND I DO THIS ON THE SUBWAYS OF NEW YORK CITY.
YOU CAN FIND A SEAT, A COMFORTABLE SEAT.
SEND YOUR SIT BONES ALL THE WAY BACK
INTO THE BACK OF THE SEAT,
AND LOOK TO SEE THAT YOUR THIGH BONES AND YOUR FEET
ARE BASICALLY HIP-WIDTH AND PARALLEL,
AND THAT YOUR FEET ARE DROPPING STRAIGHT DOWN INTO THE GROUND,
AND YOU CAN FIND A PLACE FOR YOUR FEET
TO SET FLAT AND FULLY ON THE GROUND.
AND SO THAT YOUR LOWER LEGS ARE GOING STRAIGHT DOWN
FROM YOUR KNEES.
AND THEN, FROM THE ANGLE, THE DIRECTION OF THE FEET,
YOUR THIGH BONES WOULD BE GOING STRAIGHT BACK
AND ALSO PARALLEL.
AND THEN THE SIT BONES, FROM THE THIGH BONES BACK,
INTO THE BACK OF THE CHAIR.
SO WHAT THIS DOES IS IT CREATES A STABLE POINT OF GROUNDING
FROM THE FEET, THROUGH THE LOWER LEGS,
TO THE THIGHS, AND TO THE SIT BONES.
AND THAT PROVIDES A STABLE BASE IN THE PELVIS
FROM THE SACRUM THROUGH THE SPINE
TO HOLD THE RIBCAGE.
AND ALL OF THIS CREATES A SAFE STRUCTURE FOR THE NECK
AND THE HEAD TO REST UPON.
SO, THIS POSITION, BASICALLY,
WE'RE ALREADY SENDING SIGNALS TO THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
THAT THINGS ARE SAFE AND PLUGGED IN,
WE'RE GROUNDED, AND SO WE CAN BEGIN TO TURN INWARD.
SO, IF YOU CAN, AND THIS IS NOT NECESSARY,
BUT IF YOU CAN, CLOSE YOUR EYES.
YOU'LL LIMIT...
[LAUGHS]
YOU'LL DECREASE ABOUT 80% OF THE DISTRACTIONS
FROM YOUR ENVIRONMENT.
SOMETHING I ALSO INSTRUCT IS TO LET THE DISTRACTIONS
AND THE SOUNDS IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT
CREATE A SAFE CONTAINER THAT YOU CAN PRACTICE WITHIN,
BECAUSE WE KNOW, WHETHER YOU'RE IN A HOSPITAL
OR ON A SUBWAY TRAIN
OR EVEN AT HOME WITH KIDS OR FRIENDS,
THAT THOSE DISTRACTIONS CAN BE DISTRACTIONS.
BUT IN THIS PRACTICE, WE CAN USE THEM
AS A BOUNDARY TO SAFELY PRACTICE WITHIN.
SO NOW THAT YOUR FEET ARE FIRMLY PLANTED,
BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO YOUR BREATH.
AND JUST, WITHOUT CHANGING YOUR BREATH,
JUST NOTICE THAT YOUR BODY IS INTELLIGENT
AND WILL BREATHE YOU APPROPRIATELY.
AND SO WE CAN USE THAT AS A GUIDE IN THIS PRACTICE.
FOLLOW YOUR INHALES AND YOUR EXHALES.
WE'LL USE THE BREATH AS NOT ONLY A GUIDE
BUT THE RHYTHM OF THIS PRACTICE.
SO THERE'S NOTHING REALLY THAT WE HAVE TO DO YET
EXCEPT WATCH WHAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING.
THE BREATH IS MOVING IN AND OUT.
AND THE WAY WE CAN ENGAGE NOW WITH THE BREATH,
USING THE BREATH AS A GUIDE, IS WITH AN INHALE,
FEEL, WITHOUT ANY EFFORT,
THERE'S AN EXPANSION IN THE BODY,
SO ALREADY THE BREATH ANIMATES US.
IT CONFIRMS THAT WE'RE ALIVE, JUST THROUGH THE MOVEMENT.
AND THEN TO STEP DEEPER INTO THIS, WITH AN INHALE,
FEEL YOUR FEET ON THE FLOOR,
FEEL THE BACKS OF YOUR THIGHS ON THE CHAIR,
AND FEEL, WITH THAT SAME INHALE,
A LENGTHENING THROUGH THE SPINE.
SO LITTLE BY LITTLE WE USE THE BREATH
TO NOTICE OUR BODIES.
IN THE NEXT PHASE, WITH AN INHALE,
PRESS YOUR FEET INTO THE FLOOR.
FEEL YOUR BODY'S ABILITY TO ENGAGE
AND CONFIRM OUR CONNECTION WITH THE EARTH.
MAYBE YOU FEEL THAT THE MUSCLES IN YOUR LEGS
ENGAGE AS YOU PRESS YOUR FEET DOWN WITH EACH INHALE.
NOTICE THAT.
THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO DO THIS.
WE'RE WORKING WITHIN OUR OWN EXPERIENCE,
WITHIN OUR OWN BODIES.
WITH EACH INHALE, NOW FEEL THE SIT BONES AND THE FEET ROOT,
AND THE SPINE LENGTHENS, AND MAYBE THE HEAD
BEGINS TO FEEL A LITTLE MORE BUOYANT.
AND WITH EACH EXHALE, THERE'S A RELEASE,
AN AUTOMATIC RELEASE.
THE BODY RELEASES WHAT'S NOT NEEDED.
WHAT'S GREAT IS THIS PROCESS IS HAPPENING
ALL DAY LONG, EVERY DAY,
WHETHER WE'RE AWARE OF THIS OR NOT.
SO NOW WE CAN ENGAGE WITH THIS PROCESS
AND MAKE IT SOMETHING MORE, SOMETHING THAT CAN SERVE US.
SO NOW, WITH AN INHALE, PRESS STRONGLY THROUGH YOUR FEET,
AND LIFT YOUR HEART, LIFT YOUR CHEST.
FEEL THE COLLARBONE HAS WIDENED.
WITH EACH EXHALE, SEE IF YOU CAN MAINTAIN SOME OF THIS NEW SPACE,
AND LET THE BODY AGAIN RELEASE WHAT'S NOT NEEDED.
OKAY, SO, WITH YOUR ATTENTION IN YOUR BREATH
AND FOLLOWING THE RHYTHM OF YOUR BREATH,
TAKE YOUR ARMS DOWN BY YOUR SIDES.
FEEL THE SOLES OF YOUR FEET ON THE FLOOR,
AND, WITH AN INHALE,
GENTLY TAKE YOUR ARMS UP OVER YOUR HEAD.
WITH AN EXHALE,
RELEASE YOUR ARMS DOWN BY YOUR SIDES.
FOLLOW THE RHYTHM OF YOUR BREATH
AND WAIT, AS THE INHALE COMES,
TAKE THE ARMS UP JUST BEHIND THE BREATH.
STRETCH THROUGH YOUR FINGERTIPS,
FEEL THE SIT BONES IN THE CHAIR, EXHALE, AND RELEASE.
WITH AN INHALE, PRESS THE FEET DOWN INTO THE FLOOR,
TAKE YOUR ARMS UP,
AND LENGTHEN THROUGH THE SIDES OF YOUR WAIST.
WITH AN EXHALE, KEEP SOME OF THAT LENGTH,
AND RELEASE YOUR ARMS DOWN IN YOUR BREATH,
ALL THE WAY DOWN.
INHALE AGAIN, TAKE THE ARMS UP.
LET ALL OF THIS MOVEMENT BE SOFT AND APPROPRIATE FOR YOU,
AND THEN EXHALE, LET THE ARMS RELEASE DOWN.
AGAIN, TAKE THE ARMS UP,
PRESS YOUR FEET DOWN, FEEL YOUR SIT BONES.
LIFT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE FINGERTIPS,
AND EXHALE, RELEASE.
AGAIN, INHALE, TAKE THE ARMS UP.
STRETCH UP, SMILE.
TAKE YOUR ARMS DOWN BY YOUR SIDES.
GREAT, ONE LAST TIME.
ROOT DOWN, INTO THE EARTH,
AND SWEEP YOUR ARMS UP.
AND RELEASE YOUR ARMS ALL THE WAY DOWN BY YOUR SIDES.
OKAY, PLACE YOUR HANDS ON YOUR THIGHS,
AND TAKE YOUR ATTENTION TO YOUR BREATH,
AND RELAX, REST.