Three Breaths

Saturday, January 23rd, is Yoga Day USA. Studios all across the country are offering free introductory classes to encourage people who are interested, curious, or both to give yoga a try.

Even if you’re an experienced yoga practitioner, it’s a great opportunity to celebrate what you love about the practice. (In addition to the clothes and Savasana). However, some Third Islanders are outside the U.S. right now. Also, some are on wintery islands with a limited ferry schedule, others on a warmer island with no ferry schedule whatsoever. So it may be tough to get to class (unless you’re teaching it). But that doesn’t mean we can’t virtually join hands, and for a few moments immerse ourselves in a simple exploration of stillness, presence and breath.

Three breaths, in fact.

Ready?

Lift your hands from the keyboard and gently rest them on your lap, palms up.

Soften your gaze.

Uncross your legs if you need to and place the soles of your feet on a solid surface, hip-width apart.

Inhale deeply and follow the rise of the breath from belly to collar bones.

Exhale into your sitting bones and feel the chair’s support.

Inhale and effortlessly grow taller from your base to the crown of the head.

Exhale. Open to the current of life’s energy pulsing through your expanded body.

Inhale and inflate a balloon of joy into your belly.

Release it to your heart.

Exhale. Invite a smile to play at the corners of your mouth.

(Repeat often).

Happy Yoga Day.