Welcome to Your Breath Artwork
Season 1 - Episode 5

AUM and Exhale

10 min - Practice
38 likes

Description

Kira guides a breathing practice to help us explore lengthening the exhale by utilizing the sound of AUM. Finding a comfortable seat, we first use our hands to sense each of the 4 separate sounds that make up AUM. We put the sounds together and experience extending the exhale, and the quieting effect lengthening the breath has on the body and mind.
What You'll Need: No props needed

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Transcript

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Let's explore how we can lengthen our exhale through singing. We'll use mantra. We'll specifically use the mantra of om and we'll use her four sounds. The ah which resonates in the belly and is said to point towards our waking life. The oo which resonates more in the chest and is said to point more towards our dreamlike state and the mm which is said to resonate more in the skull region and point more towards our deep sleep. The four sound which is the accumulative silence that results is said to resonate above the crown of the head and be the moment that the yogi seeks to kind of wake up in that deep sleep. Okay snuggle in. First let one hand come to the belly and together we'll find just the sound of ah. So as you're ready inhale ah. Nice being aware of how long your exhale was when you were singing. Okay bring one hand up onto the chest and we'll find the sound of oo as you are ready inhale. Nice. Bring your awareness up towards the skull and I like to use both hands just kind of lightly touching the skull and the sound is mm as you're ready inhale mm. This really the effect of just that just that little tiny lengthening of the exhale and now for the experiment we'll start to put that together. So when we put the ah and the oo together the vowels change a little bit and sort of the ah the oo becomes more of an oh sound. So what we'll do is we will start with the ah move your awareness up towards the chest start to feel the oh as you make your way up towards the skull feel the mm and then see if you can find this suspended moment right above the skull of the head and the resulting quiet and we'll we'll do this three times together. Okay snuggle in. Clearing breath big deliberate inhale exhale everything. Nice. As you're ready inhale. Google. Oh.

Beautiful, we'll do that again and really try not to blow your whole wad on the ah and the oh, really save some for the mmm. And as you come to that fourth sound like really kind of study, like study the suspension of it, okay, clearing breath again, begin now, exhale everything. As you're ready inhale, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Really nice, being amazed at the quietude that comes from the lengthening. Beautiful, let's do that together one more time, so let's snuggle in again and this time so that you can sit there a little bit longer.

Just pick the liberty inhale and exhale, let a bit of a happen and trust, trust that your body knows how to sit. Feel your heart a little brighter, pay a little bit more attention to letting your elbows be heavy and find the alignment of the skull so it feels really light. Let's do that together one more time, clearing breath, exhale everything. As you are ready inhale, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Notice the resulting quality of your breath.

Really nice. And so as we continue our journey together, right, with this sort of play of what inspires the inhale and what encourages the exhale. Some methods are easier and some methods are harder, but singing or chanting almost always works. Love. Love.

Comments

Christel B
5 people like this.
Ah, delicious, feeling the vibrations. of the sounds through the body rising.
Sandra Židan
Great! I loved this practice with singing aum! Thanks, Kira!
Kira Sloane
1 person likes this.
Sandra Židan, sweet. So happy to hear. xok

Kira Sloane
1 person likes this.
Christel B, I love that feeling too. xok

Jenny S
5 people like this.
I have been chanting three-part aums for a few years now, but this is the first I’ve heard of a four-part aum. I love this concept of sensing the lingering vibration in the silence...always learning new things on Yoga Anytime ❤️🙏🏻
Patricia Sullivan
Lovely! So effective. I wonder though, how much of that after effect is from lengthening the exhale and how much arises from the vibrations of the vowel sounds followed by the mmm sound? Forever yours, Patricia
Kate M
2 people like this.
This was blissful. Thank you, Kira.
Ali H
1 person likes this.
Again Kira your beautiful explanations so resonate with me. Thank you
Kira Sloane
Ali H, makes me so happy to hear. LOVE!

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