Return to Center - Accessible Yoga & Mindfulness with Lisa Pollard

This guided meditation is to support you to look after your neck and encourage gentle movement here. We can often carry lots of tension in the upper body from stress and overthinking. I hope you enjoy this practice and it can support you in balance and well-being. Best wishes, Lisa Pollard www.lisapollard.com

Supporting your immune system is an important part of your meditation practice. When we meditate, the by-product of the practice can be an increase in energy, feeling more engaged with life, and a stronger immune system. We can do some simple movements each day to invite wellness into the body. Whatever ever we do with the body affects the mind and whatever we do with the mind affects the body. Enjoy your practice and I hope it supports you into wellness each day. Explore these simple body practices to encourage a stronger immune system for you, especially when the season changes, during illness, or recovering from a virus. I like to do these practices each day to bring energy into the body, heart & mind.

This short guided practice is to encourage a pause breathing space with touch, a moment to feel into the body with support and gentleness. This practice can be repeated during the day if you are feeling stressed or disconnected from your body. Thank you for for your ongoing practice. Best wishes Lisa

Invite your breath to be even, steady & smooth as you explore the relationship between your inhalation and exhalation. Is it easier for you to breathe in, or easier for you to breathe out? This short guided mindfulness practice supports you to discover how your breath can support your nervous system back into balance. When we hold our breath there can be a build-up of toxins in the systems of the body which can sometimes cause anxiety. Notice what happens when your breath is steady & smooth. Enjoy your practice and I hope it can nourish you each day.

The centering breath is a practice to learn to center your awareness inside your body breathing. This short guided practice invites you to take a slow gentle breath and a slow gentle out breath and then coming back to natural breathing. Notice how it feels to breathe gently in this way and learning to regulate your breath as a way of inviting ease into the physical body. Thank you for taking the time to experience your breath today and feeling the effects of this practice.

Smiling inside is an invitation to observe what happens when we make a small gesture with the mouth and discover if anything responds within the body heart & mind. Can you experience the connection within your mindfulness practice? This short practice also invites kindness through touch and warmth to the body, to support wellness and generosity. A generative practice where words can invite ease with the breath and a quiet internal dialogue. Enjoy your practice and I hope it supports you each day.

This short guided meditation is best practiced sitting in a chair. The meditation invites you to learn how to progressively let go of tension in the physical body, part by part. Allowing the muscles to soften and release particularly with the out-breath. I hope you can invite ease into your body today and learn to release and let go of habitual holding & stress. Thank you for your practice and I hope it can bring you back into balance today. Best wishes Lisa

Soothing & calming the mind can be helpful when we are triggered by stories, rumination, strong emotions, or agitation. The gentle touch of the palms against the forehead can invite the flow of blood into this area of the body. When there is gentle pressure here and the eyes are closed this can be an invitation to rest the head and take a break from the constant doing mode to being still, warm dark, and quiet. When we are agitated the eyes can sometimes flick, so placing warm hands over the eyes can bring some ease to the face. Feel free to use a cushion or pillow on the table for more support so there is no pulling or strain in the lower back.

A guided short breathing practice to lengthen the out breath and calm the mind. We often breathe faster when our mind is racing, so learning to invite a slow long smooth out breath has a soothing effect on the mind. I hope you can practice some breathing today as the breath is the bridge between the body & the mind. Best wishes Lisa

Gayatri Mantra - Om Bhur Bhuva Swaha or chanting to the divine light within and the strength & beauty of the sun, may this divine light illuminate us. I hope you enjoy listening to this chant, it can be a lovely way to start the day and to open to the benefits of meditation and strengthen your breathing. May you feel nourished by the sound and vibrations in your body today. Thank you for your practice and being present with this ancient chant to awaken the senses and the heart. Best wishes Lisa

A grounding practice of yoga, breath, and awareness to support cantering into the body during this time of uncertainty. May we all know peace and ease and remember to move, breathe and soothe ourselves through yoga & meditation. Thank you for your ongoing practice. Best wishes Lisa

4 Part Breathing is a short guided mindfulness meditation to focus on the natural movement and stillness of each breath. Feeling the 4 parts of each breath and resting in the spaces in between, to invite ease and steadiness during this time of uncertainty. Mental noting is invited to train attention control and stability. Thank you for your practice. Best wishes Lisa

Legs on the chair is a guided meditation where the legs are resting on a chair or couch. This practice is designed to elevate the legs higher than the heart and this can give the heart a rest. Try this practice if you are feeling low in energy or in the afternoon when your energy can naturally dip. This restorative yoga pose is very beneficial for well-being and I like to do this practice also after eating meals to support digestion. Best wishes Lisa Pollard www.lisapollard.com

A short guided meditation using touch to sooth the autonomic nervous system, particularly in this time of uncertainty. We can use our hands to support the head when practicing together with an awareness of breathing. Thank you for meditating with me. Best wishes Lisa

Walking Meditation is a practice which supports the mind to drop down into the feet, feeling grounded to the earth beneath you. This can be a soothing practice if you have a busy mind, to drop your attention down into the lower half of the body. The practice can be explored in different settings, with or without shoes, notice how you can practice mindfully walking, sensing and feeling your body moving through space. Thank-you for your practice and I hope your meditation nourishes you each day. Best wishes Lisa

This healing chant is traditionally chanted 108 times, Shiv Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, this mantra is to help liberate us from fear and move towards a sense that we are connected to nature. I hope this chant can support your practice today, feel free to listen and join in when the the chant becomes familiar to you. Chanting supports, concentration, reduces stress & anxiety, gives strength to the body, heart & mind. Best wishes Lisa Pollard

Standing mountain is a short guided mindfulness practice where the body becomes the object of meditation. The invitation is to take the shoes off, so the toes can move easily. Learning to reside in the body supports us to be here now, as we can feel the physical sensations of the feet grounded firmly on the earth. Finding a neutral position for the pelvis, so the spine can naturally extend out of this region. I hope this practice can support you to open to the present moment each day. Thank you for your ongoing practice and your intention to wake up gently to the body, heart & mind.

Extended version of mindfulness of bells, allowing attention to rest with the sound of the mindfulness bells. Cultivating your practice to introduce silent practice and coming back to where your attention is within the silent practice. Enjoy your practice and I hope it continues to grow each day.

This guided mindfulness meditation is an invitation to explore the four postures, standing, sitting, walking and lying down/ reclining. Meditation flows through the four postures, each posture has a different effect on the body, heart & mind. We can experiment with the practice of mindfulness in these four postures inviting ease and stillness. Thank-you for your practice and enjoy arriving in the present moment in these various positions.

This short guided mindfulness practice invites the union of breath and body. Inhalation hands open and exhalation the palms gently touch each other. Connecting the breath and the movement is a way of bringing the mind into the palms of both hands. This practice can be a support for you if you have difficulty being present and your mind is often racing. A moment to pause and be with the breath and touch, breath by breath, moment by moment. The touch of the hands is an anchor for the mind and this can also regulate breathing. Thank you for your practice and I hope this short practice can have a soothing effect on the body, mind & heart.

Moving with the breath is an invitation to notice the touch of the hands as you breathe in and out. This short practice can create a space for your attention to rest with the breath and the movement of the arms and hands to invite calm and steadiness when agitation is present in the body, heart, or mind. I encourage you to experience some ease and a sense of being grounded as you learn to move gently with your breathing. Enjoy your practice and I hope it can support you into wellness and balance.

Feeling Tone is a short guided meditation to learn to pay attention to the feeling tone in the body. Feeling tone is the second foundation of mindfulness and this is where we register if something feels pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. This practice helps us to know what is unfolding in the body, heart & mind and informs us of what is here to be known, moment by moment. We learn to relate to our experience or understand the hedonic tone, being with different feeling tomes without judgment. We can become more resilient as we learn to stay even if our habitual habit is to want to push away or pull towards these various states in the body. Thank you for your practice today and I hope it can support you to be with what is.

Shhh breathing for ease is a pranayama practice to learn to make a gentle, smooth, steady sound with the out breath. This can invite ease in the physical body and the mind. The breath becomes a bridge between the body and the mind. Notice how extending the out breath can support the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system to rest, repair & digest. Enjoy your ongoing practice and this can be a great practice when tension and stress is building in the body heart & mind. Thank you for meditating with me today. Love and blessings Lisa

Being comfortable with silence is an important ingredient when developing a daily mindfulness practice. We learn to hang out in awareness and develop this natural rhythm of being with ourselves as we are and get to know what arises in our field of awareness. This practice will invite you to rest in the silence and notice what is present in the body, mind & heart. As your practice grows your ability to sit in silence will grow each time you can find the space to practice. Nature loves rhythms and even a short time being with yourself can be a real gift to your health & well-being. Enjoy your practice and I hope it continues to nourish you.

This short guided mindfulness recording is to support you to pause and remember to breathe, being aware of wherever the sensations of breathing are most vivid or obvious to you. inviting your body and your breath to be your home base. Remembering to be here now and simply breathe in and out. This practice can be helpful in the moments when you may feel strong emotions or be triggered. It can be helpful to pause relax and open to what is here right now. I hope your practice nourishes you today and you can be awake and aware. Thank- you for your commitment to your ongoing practice today.

This chant acknowledges and expresses gratitude to all the people who have passed yoga on for thousands of years so we can practice today and feel the benefits in the body, heart & mind. This chant is about letting go of attachments so we can navigate life with more balance even when it is unpleasant or difficult. I am very grateful for all of the wonderful teachers who have inspired me to share this ancient yogic tradition. I feel deeply supported by yoga and I hope you too can be nourished by this ancient tradition. I hope you might be inspired to learn this chant and surrender deeply into your ongoing practice. Best wishes Lisa Pollard www.lisapollard.com Lisa Pollard Yoga - Free App

Releasing tension in the body with the out-breath can be a support to your general well-being. This short guided meditation allows you to rest your attention in the hands, face, and belly. Places where you may carry tension or tightness. Notice if inviting ease with the out-breath helps to let go of any holding or contraction. This short movement practice can help you to let go of tension in various parts of the body. Enjoy this exploration as you learn to open to the body, heart & mind. Thank you for listening and moving with the body and breath today.

Breath & body is a short guided meditation, the breath is the object of meditation and then expanding out to the whole body. The natural breath and the sensations in the body invite the attention to rest in the present moment. The first foundation of mindfulness includes the breath and body, the physical sensations are easier for us to pay attention to when learning to practice. I hope you enjoy this meditation and can rest your attention in your body breathing. Thank you for your practice and I hope it supports you back into wellness.

This short guided mindfulness meditation invites the attention to rest at the end of the out-breath, when there is a quiet pause or gap, often called the seed of meditation. This is when the physical body becomes still, just for a moment before the next in-breath enters the body. Try resting in this quiet place and discover the joys of meditation as your practice invites you into stillness and quiet. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to meditation and the exploration of these mind-body practices. May you find ease and peace within the experience of your practice today. Best wishes Lisa

A short guided practice using touch and warmth to soothe the eyes which can become tired from too much screen time, reading and just being tired or stressed. Learn to pause take a breath and use your hands to support well being. I hope your practice grows each day. Best wishes Lisa

This guided meditation invites you to drop your awareness into the feet and walk slowly and carefully, observing how the feet kiss the earth, one foot at a time. Notice how you can walk and also pay attention to what you can see, hear & feel in the physical body the sense doors wide open. I hope this practice supports you to be awake and present today as you rotate through the senses. Best wishes Lisa Pollard www.lisapollard.com

Caring for your spine is very important when supporting the autonomic nervous system. It's especially important to move your spine in many different directions to calm the nervous system. Thank you for joining me in yoga today and I hope you can continue top practice each day. Best wishes Lisa

Heart Space is a short guided meditation to cultivate gratitude as an antidote to fear or worry. Touch and breath is cultivated in this practice to support ease. Thank you for your practice today. Best wishes Lisa

This short guided mindfulness meditation invites the breath to the center of your awareness. Feeling the sensations as you breathe in and out. You might feel the sensations at the nose, throat, chest, or abdomen. Learning to rest your attention wherever the sensations are most obvious to you. I hope you can learn to train your mind as you stay with the natural breath, coming back when the mind wanders. Mental noting may help you experience the breath and this can sometimes support your practice. May your ongoing meditation continue to nourish you each day, as your intention grows to practice regularly with kindness & patience. Best wishes, Lisa Pollard www.lisapollard.com

Healthy joints and freedom of movement are important, especially when we are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, as our body can carry more tension. It's important to allow the blood to flow freely through the joints and to invite movement regularly to release stress or tension in the body. Notice how it feels to move various joints carefully, and observe the different sensations in the right and left sides of your body. I hope you can move your body mindfully each day to explore how gentle, mindful movements can bring ease. Enjoy your daily practice.

The guided lying down body scan meditation can be practiced lying down or sitting. An invitation to experience the aliveness of the body part by part. This practice was recorded for MBSR participants within an 8-week MBSR course, however, anyone can practice the body scan, particularly for deep rest and allowing the nervous system to balance. An opportunity to give yourself the time and space to practice with the body, mind & heart. If your mind is wandering a lot, simply note thoughts and then gently come back to the body again and again.

Shoulder breathing is a short guided pranayama practice to invite us to breathe more deeply using movements with the arms and shoulders. tension is often held in the shoulder girdle, when we go into the fight part of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system the shoulders arms and hands can become tense. this practice can bring awareness to this part of the body and we can use the breath to release ongoing stress in this part of the body. I hope you can feel more alive from this pranayama practice to feel prana or energy building in the physical body. Thank you for meditating with me and exploring this breathing practice today. Love & blessings Lisa

An invitation to open to the language of sensation, practicing within your own range of movement. This yoga sequence has been recorded for MBSR participants to practice within an 8-week Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Course. This gentle yoga sequence can be practiced by anyone wishing to reduce stress & anxiety. Enjoy this moving meditation and learn how to connect your breath and body to balance and calm the nervous system.

This short guided practice to inquire into sensation in the the physical body and how this can support the autonomic nervous system. When releasing the tongue and the jaw through this guided practice, you may notice a slight change in the mouth. Be curious and attentive to the body, soft tongue, soft jaw, soft belly and soft hands to invite ease. Thank you for your ongoing practice. Best wishes Lisa

This short guided practice invites you to move the arms gently around the torso, rocking from side to side. A sense of touch and breath to feel into the body whilst giving yourself a hug. Notice the rising and falling of the arms as you breath in and out, tuning in and notice how warmth & touch can calm the mind. Thank-you for your practice today and taking the time to care for yourself in this nurturing way. Best wishes Lisa Pollard www.lisapollard.com

Chanting Om pronounced AUM is the sound that represents Universal energy, peace, or love. It is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of a Yoga Practice. When we chant the vibrations have a physical effect on the nervous system, decreasing blood pressure and improving heart health. Experiment with chanting and notice how you feel after this practice, is there more energy or aliveness in your body? Or can you notice a sense of ease as you learn to lengthen and extend your out-breath? Chanting can also calm the mind, similar to meditation. As we chant we can feel the vibrations of nature inside of ourselves. Thank you for your ongoing practice.

This guided yoga practice supports the body to gently twist and open whilst being supported on the floor with props. These slow movements can support digestion, release tension and open the chest & heart area where contraction can be felt from stress, sitting & overthinking. I encourage you to work intimately with the body each day, only doing what feels comfortable within your range of movement. Enjoy your practice and I hope it invites ease today. Best wishes Lisa

Refreshing your body through touch, massage, gentle movement, and attention is a wonderful way to refresh your body and to release tension. When we are stressed the body holds tension, particularly in the face, tongue & jaw. This short guided practice is an invitation to gently let go of ongoing tension through simple movements with your body to invite ease. I hope you can continue to move towards balance with your practice today. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to being aware and awake in your body heart & mind.

Allow the sound of the mindfulness bell to bring your attention gently back to the present moment and to be curious about what arises. You may be aware of sounds, breath & body, or the changing nature of thoughts & emotions. The practice is about being awake and noticing various aspects of this unfolding experience. I hope you enjoy listening to the sound of the bells as you wake up to each new fresh moment. Thank you for your ongoing practice and I hope it can support you to be present a little more each day.

Finding a comfortable place to sit can be helpful, try sitting in a hard-backed upright chair where your feet reach the floor easily. This short guided meditation assists you to find a comfortable seat in an upright open posture, where there is a sense of openness and stability. I hope this practice can support you to find a posture that supports you to practice with ease and comfort. These pauses each day can be a way of checking in with the body and the breath. Thank you for taking the time to meditate and explore your body, heart & mind today.

Tuning in and feeling our changing emotions can offer us an opportunity to befriend and attend to our internal experience. This practice invites you to touch into what is here and name it, leaning into what is here to be known. Sometimes we can tune in and be with our internal world for a few moments and slowly sense how to come back into balance. Touching in for a few moments, being with, using touch, and then creating a bigger container, expanding out to seeing & hearing. I hope you can return to balance with this short guided meditation learning to pause regularly, knowing this changing flow of experience. Thank you for your ongoing practice. Best wishes Lisa

Rest & Renew is a gentle restorative yoga practice, to calm and balance the entire body. Explore how using props and various yoga postures can invite ease and stillness. Allow your body to be held by the props and invite any stress or agitation to settle. Restorative Yoga can be very beneficial in stressful times, taking the time to rest & renew each day can support the body into wellness. This gentle practice can encourage space for ease and reduce the effects of chronic stress. Practitioners can learn to shift from doing to being and enjoy listening deeply to the body, heart, and mind.

Yoga & Lions Breath is a guided yoga sequence which includes a breathing practice to clear energy around the throat area. Sometimes if we are feeling stuck in our communication or not feeling heard this practice can be very soothing and releasing in this part of the body. Thank you for your ongoing practice and exploring practices to support being grounded and easeful. Best wishes Lisa

In & Out is a short guided meditation practice to support awareness of breathing as the object of meditation. Finding a comfortable posture and resting your attention with the breath. Inviting the short breath to be the focus, as you learn to gather your attention at the air at the nose, where there are many sense receptors. Notice the changing temperature at the nose with each breath with a beginner's mind and sense of curiosity. I hope you feel the benefits of this practice today.

Caring for your spine is important for integrating balance into your nervous system. As we age our bodies can become less fluid. It's important to look after the spine each day and allow gentle movements to pump fluid into the disks. This can encourage freedom of movement and less pain or stagnation of energy. Too much sitting causes the spine and the muscles supporting the back to become tense. I invite you to move your spine every day to allow the energy to flow which supports the nervous system, health, and vibrancy. Thank you for your ongoing practice.

Fear is here is a story to support and understand how we can be fear and learning how to be with anxiety and strong physical sensations in the body. Learning how to name strong emotions in the body and notice how they can change. Love and Blessings Lisa

Stability & Balance is a short guided yoga practice, an invitation to move with the breath and feel into the feet & legs. As we age our balance decreases particularly after the age of 45, so it's important to look after our feet & ankles to support stability. When there is agitation or anxiety in the body the attention can sometimes reside in the upper part of the body, particularly around the shoulders and head. So this practice invites the attention down into the lower parts of the body. I hope this short movement practice supports you to connect to the stability of the earth beneath you. Thank you for your ongoing practice and moving towards health & balance every day.

Experience this gentle practice, awareness of breathing, and walking through meditation. Notice how it feels to practice sitting meditation and then walking meditation and then back to sitting. An opportunity to notice the body in stillness and then whilst moving. During insight, meditation retreats practitioners can sit, walk, sit, walk throughout the day as a way of looking after your body and learning to be present in different postures. Walking meditation is an important practice because it assists the meditator to be present whilst moving and to integrate mindfulness into your daily life. It can also be supportive if you find it difficult to be still. Enjoy your practice and I hope you find ease and can move towards balance today.

The Sacred Pause is a shared story to support us to learn to stop and be with our emotions and choices, taking the time to listen deeply to your good heart. This story is to support parenting and learning how to navigate those moments when we feel like we might get pulled into the fight. A moment to be with your feelings and make a sacred pause to inform your responses. Thank you for listening and practicing with me today. Best wishes, Lisa

Legs on the lounge is a guided body scan meditation, with the legs elevated to lower the heart rate and support all the systems of the body. This practice can be used to support sleep hygiene and mindfulness of the body and breath. A restorative yoga posture to allow full diaphragmatic breathing. Thank you for your practice and may you know peace and ease today. Love & blessings Lisa

Standing Yoga Sequence, recorded to support MBSR ( Mindfulness-based stress reduction ) participants to reduce stress & anxiety & connect the body & the breath. An invitation to open to sensations with kind curiosity and holistic goodwill. This practice can be enjoyed by anyone wishing to become intimate with how the body feels in various gentle yoga postures. The yoga sequence can also be practice sitting in a chair.

Yoga, Breathing & Sound is a guided yoga sequence to develop an awareness of extending the out-breath with sound and movement to invite ease into the body and to reduce stress. It's important to keep the body moving during times of stress and to learn how to lengthen the out-breath. Sound can be a wonderful way to support release and ease in the body. Thank you for your yoga practice today. Best wishes, Lisa

Sitting or lying meditation. Recorded for MBSR - (Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction) Practitioners, inviting the breath, body & sounds to the center of your awareness, through directed concentration. This practice can be enjoyed by anyone wishing to find the space and time to be in the present moment. Enjoy your practice and see if you can redirect your attention when your mind wanders, coming back with patience, kindness and a non-judgmental attitude.

This guided meditation will support you to lean in and be with thoughts and feelings inside your body. Invite the body and breath to be your home base as you expand out to thoughts and feelings. Notice how it feels to open up your awareness to include your experiences as they arise and pass away. We meditate to get to know our hearts and minds. I hope this practice supports you today. Best wishes, Lisa Polard www.lisapollard.com

A short guided breathing practice with sound and vibration to calm the autonomic nervous system. This practice can allow a long out-breath which encourages a deeper in-breath to calm the body and reduce agitation. Thank you for your ongoing practice. Best wishes Lisa

An invitation to pause into presence, by stopping and breathing and welcoming yourself into this new fresh moment. We often rush through our daily lives, this practice will support you to mindfully pause and be with the body breathing. I hope your practice continues to grow as you learn to pause and come home to your body and breath as an anchor at various times throughout your day. Breathing consciously with awareness, as you trust that your body knows how to breathe. thank-you for your practice.

This guided meditation supports you to open to sounds & thoughts, noticing how the sounds and thoughts can arise and dissolve in your field of awareness. Noticing how sounds can have a beginning, middle & end, and a quiet pause in between. Sometimes we can notice spaces in between thoughts and sounds. Enjoy your practice and I hope it supports you to drop into presence. Best wishes Lisa Pollard www.lisapollard.com

The body sweep is an invitation to take care of your body, part by part as you explore the language of sensation. Learning to stay present with the physical body and be with any part of the body in this caring careful way. I hope your practice supports you to back into balance today. Thank you for your ongoing practice. Best wishes, Lisa Pollard www.lisapollard.com

This guided meditation invites the practitioner to take care of yourself in nature. Walking meditation to connect with anything that registers as pleasant inside the body and around you. Walking naturally and pausing when there is anything pleasant, pause and take in the goodness of each new moment. Thank you for your practice and I hope this can nourish you today. Bestwsuges Lisa Pollard www.lisapollard.com

This short guided mindfulness meditation is designed to support you to learn how to kneel on the floor with a kneeling stool or zafu. This encourages the hips to be higher than the knees and also blankets underneath the shin bones, so there is less pressure through the front of the ankles. Try using these props to support your kneeling position today. A neutral spine is encouraged whilst kneeling and you may find it is easier for you to feel the natural breath in this position. Thank you for your practice and I hope it nourishes you each day.

Standing Yoga & Pause Breathing is a short guided Yoga practice with an invitation to tune into the breath whilst pausing and tuning into the sensations of breath and body. This practice supports us to slow down, feel into the body and learn to navigate stillness between the various guided movements. This can be very grounding and stress-reducing. Thank you for practicing Yoga with me today. Best wishes Lisa

Coming home is a short guided mindfulness practice, an invitation to come home to the body, mind & heart. Learning to open your awareness to seeing in your visual field and hearing. Find a place where you could perhaps see in nature or out a window. This practice invites you to open and close the lenses of your awareness, noticing what you can see and hear, and then coming home to the body breathing. I hope your practice can support you to open and close the sense doors as you rest in the present moment. Best wishes, Lisa Pollard www.lisapollard.com

Pay attention to your breath and sounds in and around you; an invitation to notice your body breathing. Learn to train your mind in this concentration practice as you ride the waves of breath from moment to moment. Body & breath are your home base as you feel this natural rising & falling. Thank you for your ongoing practice, and may it support you into wellness each day.Best wishes,Lisa Pollard www.lisapollard.com

We often get caught up in the fast pace of life and forget to take some time to Stop, Sense & See. This short guided practice is an invitation to remember that we can choose to stop and sense into our physical sensations within the body and notice what is here. Are the sensations pleasant, neutral or unpleasant? Learning to be with these different physical sensations is a wonderful way to be awake and alive in each new passing moment. We can open to our awareness and include what we can see in our visual field as a way of tuning into the freshness & beauty around us. I hope you enjoy your ongoing practice and it can anchor you back to the present moment again and again.

Alternate nostril breathing is also known as Nadi Shodana. This breathing practice or pranayama stretches the breath, nadi meaning channel, and shodana meaning purification. This practice is aimed at cleaning or purifying the mind-body. It is suitable for anyone, as it is gentle and has a pacifying or calming effect on the nervous system. Alternate nostril breathing infuses the body with oxygen, releases toxins, stress & anxiety, and also supports balance and concentration. This practice can be helpful if you are feeling agitated or would like to invite mental clarity. Your breath must remain gentle and slow, inviting ease throughout your body. I hope you can enjoy this practice and feel the benefits daily.