Practice for Stress and Emotional Release
21m
You’re carrying a lot of stress right now and although the challenges don’t appear to be lightening up anytime soon, you would like to feel them weigh less heavily on your heart, body, and nervous system.
In this multi-part practice, John will guide you through breath and Kundalini exercises to clear the center column, the back of the heart, and the back of the throat of any stress, tension, and emotion that may be stored there.
If you would like to release the weight of stressful energy from your heart and body, this 21-minute practice will help.
Sit in a good strong seat on the floor or on a chair with your spine long and tall. You will then begin a breath practice that uses conscious vocal exhalation called the Biological Breath.
On the inhale, breathe through your nose and the back of your throat with your tongue pressed gently on the roof of your mouth. Feel the back of your throat and heart nice and wide. Then make a sound on the exhale to clear the back of your heart. There will be a natural pause between each inhale and exhale. Allow each exhale to free and liberate your heart from any tension, anxiety, stress, frustration, or resentment that you may holding onto. Invite in movement to unlock more space in your heart and emotional body. You can even let it be a primal release.
After 7 minutes of cycling through this breath, give it all you've got and let everything out on your final exhale. Then relax your breath and rest your hands on your upper thighs with your spine tall and heart lifted. Notice if you have more space in the center column of your body between your throat and genitals.
Then bring your hands together and press your thumbs into your sternum. Inhale to set an intention for your practice, such as depth, clarity, power, strength, or love, and exhale to settle it into your heart.
The rest of the practice includes three two-minute Kundalini yoga practices.
For the first, you will lift your arms heart-level and breathe from the back of your heart through an open mouth, almost like a pant. Gaze forward over your nose and 60 degrees down toward the floor. On the exhale, you will wring out your wrists in front of your heart, clearing out whatever is stuck in the back of your heart through your breath and your hands.
After two minutes, inhale deeply and hold it. Squeeze every muscle in your body. Then exhale fully and immediately take another inhale. Hold your breath and squeeze your entire body. Then exhale and release. Close your eyes for a few seconds to feel the way that your body is responding to the breath.
For the second exercise, you will use the same breath and same gaze. This time, you will punch forward with your arms from the heel of the palms of your hands, almost like a martial arts punch. Push away that which you no longer want, accept, or tolerate in yourself or others.
After two minutes, inhale deeply with your right arm forward and left arm back, and hold it. Squeeze every muscle in your body. Then exhale fully, switch sides, and immediately take another inhale. Hold the breath and squeeze your entire body. Consolidate the energy. Then exhale. Close your eyes and feel gratitude in your heart for whatever you moved in that exercise.
For the final exercise, you will use the same breath. The movement is as if you are scooping up energy from the earth with your fingers wide and activated. Feel this life force come up from the earth and into the center column of your body. Become nourished by the richness of the earth through your fingertips. Let your heart be very open, wide, and fierce. Let your breath be powerful, like you are declaring your mission, your values, and your place on the planet.
After two minutes, inhale deeply and hold it. Squeeze every muscle in your body. Then exhale powerfully and immediately take another inhale. Hold the breath and squeeze your entire body. Then exhale and release.
Bring your hands to rest on your upper thighs and take some smooth, deep breaths. Reflect on that which you feel blessed and grateful for. Then slowly open your eyes to complete the practice.
Music:
Clandestine by Simrit
Naam by Gurunam Singh and Simrit
Disclaimer: Although anyone may find this practice to be useful, it is made available with the understanding that we are not engaged in presenting specific medical, psychological, emotional, sexual or spiritual advice. Nor is anything in this practice intended to be a diagnosis, prescription, recommendation or cure for any specific kind of medical, psychological, emotional, sexual or spiritual problem. Each individual has unique needs and this practice cannot take these individual differences into account. Each person should engage in a program of treatment, prevention, cure, or general health only in consultation with a licensed, qualified physician, therapist or other competent professional. Any person suffering from a sexually transmitted disease or any local illness of his or her sexual organs should consult a medical doctor and a qualified instructor of sexual yoga before practicing the sexual methods described in this practice.