ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING

Take a moment to connect with your breath...

1 Find a comfortable seated position up against a wall or on a block or bolster (with a long, straight back).

2 Fully inhale and exhale through both nostrils. Place your “peace fingers” of your right hand (index and middle fingers) between your brows and block your right nostril with your thumb. Your ring finger will hover over the left nostril. Fully inhale through your left nostril, keeping your shoulders and face relaxed.

3 Block your left nostril with your ring finger and release your right nostril, breathing out fully. Breathe in fully through your right nostril, with relaxed shoulders and a long spine.

4 Block right, breathe out left. Repeat for 10 rounds (1 round = in left, out right, in right, out left). Try to balance the length of the breaths equally in and out, maybe to a slow count of four.

5 Try to minimise effort, while still breathing in and out fully. The breaths should be light and deep. After the last round, exhaling through the left nostril, rest both hands on your lap and breathe normally a few times until you feel ready to move.

If you feel dizzy or anxious, please know you are in control and can relax or stop at any time.