In this 10 minute podcast, we'll take a mini-shavasana and practice developing an awareness of who is actually experiencing your inner and outer world. The ability to just simply observe our experiences of life can give us greater freedom. Just Lie Down and become aware to who is noticing.
Just Lie Down and Try Coherent Breathing
“Coherent Breathing” describes a breath practice where we take five full breaths per minute. The inhalation and exhalation are paced to be six seconds each. This breath cycle has been found to be very helpful to reduce blood pressure, increase heart-rate variability and promote a balance between the adverse reactions from Sympathetic Nervous System (fight/flight/freak/freeze) and the beneficial aspects of the Parasympathetic Nervous System (rest + digest/tend+befriend). Studies agree that a six second inhale followed by a six second exhale is the optimal pace to cultivate stress resilience. Instead of using your mind for counting, just listen to and breathe with my beloved harmonium. Just lie down and try this!
Just Lie Down and Quiet the Mind
Sometimes having a problem or problems can really wreak our peace of mind. With this podcast, we’ll practice a soothing pranayama (breathing exercise) and a silent mantra which might help you experience your problem in a way that is not as large and sticky as you thought.
Just Lie Down and Activate Your Observing Self
There are two aspects of the mind: the thinking self and the observing self. In this podcast, you'll use a small pillow or your cellphone on your belly and place your observing mind on the movement of the belly as you just simply breathe. The breath is the anchor for your attention as you shift from Thinking Mind to Observing Mind.
Just Lie Down and Count your Exhales
If you’ve been experiencing lots of distraction lately, you might enjoy this is a very simple breath practice that can help you focus your attention. We will also practice a simple mantra on gratitude. Just lie down!
Just Lie Down and Listen to your Body
There is a whole world of wisdom inside the body. How do we access that wisdom? Slowing down allows us to register sensation - which allows for wisdom. Take a 10 minute mini-shavasana and let your attention tune into your body without judgment.
Just Lie Down and Enjoy the Calming Effects of Three-Part Breathing
Starting off with La La La’s, we’ll practice inhaling in three parts. This is a very soothing breath practice - it can help you drop away from the world of thoughts, comparisons, judgments and into the world of your true peaceful nature.
Just Lie Down and Practice Hands-On Breathing
Freedom comes when we breathe mindfully. Sometimes it it easier to keep our attention on the breath by Hands-On Breathing. We’ll put our hands on our belly and feel the breath coming in and out, and then we’ll try putting our hands on our lungs and direct the breath into different parts of our ribcage, feeling the sensations of breathing.
Just Lie Down and Take a Reality Check
When we get anxious, we are out of touch with what is actually happening in this moment. The stories that you are telling yourself are probably not true. Return to your body, notice your thoughts and soften into what is real. This is a very calming practice that can ease anxious thinking.
Just Lie Down and Experience Your Eyes
Open up your inner vision. Many of us have lots of tension around the eyes. Take a break, lie down and soothe your eyes with these simple movements to help widen and soften your gaze.
Just Lie Down and Enjoy Your Six Senses
Release the Past, the Future will arrive on its own - for now, just Be Present. Using your awareness to sense what is actually happening in and around your body is a simple way to gather yourself. First, we’ll establish an anchor and then we’ll journey into the Six Senses.
Just Lie Down and Take a Four Breath Vacation
Let your mind go on vacation while you gently focus your attention on the movement of the ribcage as it moves with your breath. When we breathe mindfully, we bring our mind home to our body and there is an opportunity for reunification of body/mind and with that comes peace.
Just Lie Down and Experience the Valentine Bandit Pranayama
In Portland, Maine we are blessed by the Valentine Bandit - a person/s (?) who covers our town with paper valentines - thousands of them - every Valentine’s Day. Nobody knows who the Valentine Bandit is because he or she secretly strikes in the middle of the night. This breathing practice asks you to imagine that you have one of those delightful valentine’s stuck on top of your torso and as you breathe the valentine lengthens and widens. To begin, Just Lie Down in Shavasana and start to fire up your imagination.
Just Lie Down and Experience your Inner Swingset
Your imagination is as big as you imagine it to be - use your imagination and your breath to go on a joyous ride on your Inner Swingset. Just lie down and get comfy.