Mindful Techniques for Energetic Balance (73)

So you get a little bit of fall stuffy voice , holly , today , but I'm grateful that we get to be here together , that we get to ground together , if you are experiencing some of these fall sniffles like me , and if you're really feeling that transition that we're in the middle of from summer to fall . We actually had a bonus episode last week , episode 72, .

I did a meditation on honoring the autumn equinox and how we can nourish ourselves as we move through this transition of seasons . I know that for me it means a lot more tea , a lot more candles , all the little things we can do to nourish ourselves through this transition .

So , in addition to that , I'm really excited to share today's mindful moment with you , and I honestly think that this is one that you are going to use again and again . You can download this episode and the show notes . There's a timestamp to when the meditation begins , so you can practice this really quickly anytime you need .

It's also something I'm going to break down into some simple steps so that you can start to get some muscle memory for this and practice this on your own when I am not guiding . Because today's mindful moment is focusing on finding energetic balance and creating a safe space within ourselves , and this is inspired by my conversation in episode 71 with Faith Hunter .

If you missed that episode , just you gotta listen . Faith Hunter is absolutely amazing . She was the first dark-skinned black woman to appear on the cover of Yoga Journal back in I believe it was 2010 or 2011 .

And she speaks to the importance of representation and wellness , why that matters and then , going beyond that , how we can create inclusive and supportive spaces in the wellness community . So if you're practicing at a studio , if you're a studio owner or a teacher , I definitely recommend listening .

And a layer beyond that is how we can find safe space within ourselves as we move through pockets of society that might not be so supportive and that exists right , that's all around us . So that's what today's meditation and mindful moment is going to lean into .

And before we get into that meditation , I've been sharing in our podcast about the concept of Danna , which is giving from the heart , and you can practice Danna by leaving a review for the podcast by sharing an episode you love with a friend , and you can practice Danna by supporting this podcast financially every month .

When you do that , not only do you support the ability for this podcast to exist and to honor the time and work and energy that I put into this every day , every week , but I use donations , not but , and I use the support of the dream team to make contributions to community causes .

So for August , we supported the community foundation of Hawaii and Hawaii Wildfire .

I'm going to keep you posted next week on what our September cause is supporting , but if you would like to be a part of that , if you want to practice Danna , I highly encourage you do so , and you can do that for as little as $3 a month by clicking the link in the show notes below .

All right , so let's transition into how we can cultivate a safe space and energetic balance within ourselves , and how we can cultivate this and carry this with us as we move through a wide range of things . So the first step here is going to be to pause , and this pause can happen when you are transitioning .

Maybe you're leaving the safe space of your home or your vehicle , or just a moment outside by yourself before you're walking into a room full of people ,

if you know you're about to enter a space that might not be the most supportive , or really .

This is something that you can benefit from doing before you enter any space Is first take a moment to pause , take a moment to feel your feet on the earth , let yourself be held by the earth beneath you , and then take three deep breaths , just like we do every time we start this podcast together .

So inhale , fill your chest , fill your belly with air , exhale , open your mouth , let it all out Again . Inhale , fill your chest , fill your belly with air , exhale , open your mouth , let it all go . One more inhale and exhale .

Now take a moment to gently scan your body , from the tip of your head to the tips of your toes , and just notice what's alive for you . How does the body feel , how does the mind feel , both physically and energetically ? Just take a moment to make a mental map of your internal landscape here and then this next part is my favorite .

You can do this before and after you leave a scenario . So maybe there's something you just are having a hard time shaking right now . I like to think about it as humans just moving through the day , moving through daily life , we pick up dirt , right .

That's why we take a shower every day , I hope Most days we bathe ourselves , because we absorb the dirt of the world around us . That's just part of it , right ? The same thing happens energetically , too , so we're going to take a moment to do something called an energy bath here .

So you can be as silly with this as you want with me , or you can do this as gently as feels right for you , but I like to . I'll have to post a video of this . I like to like pretend I've got my soap bottle and I'm like squirting soap on my hands .

I've got my shampoo in my hands , and then scrub your head , like really try to get your hair all sudsy . I don't know if you can hear me scrubbing my head through the podcast mic . Just imagine yourself scrubbing away , putting soap all over whatever energetic dirt , energetic muck you're carrying , and then brush it away .

Imagine that water rinsing it off , and then we're going to move through the whole body this way , so really rubbing the chest . Maybe there's a weight you're carrying on your heart , something that feels really heavy . Just get more soap if you need , suds it up and then brush it off . Same thing moving through your arms .

We're going to do this through every limb , so just bear with me , get into it , suds in , up the arms , brush it up Other arm and just do this as you make your way energetically , giving yourself an energy bath , scrubbing all that dirt off the body , getting under the armpits , scrubbing away any energy you might be holding on in the belly , then moving down the

legs and then just brush it off . Maybe even give yourself a little shake , like a dog drying off at the end of the day , imagining Luna just getting all her water all over me .

Good , and now return to the sensation of where your feet touch the earth and take a big breath in , then a big breath out , then notice if you feel any different here , and maybe this is enough . Maybe this is how you feel supported to enter what comes next .

Or , if you want to take it one step further , we're going to take a moment to practice together a breath technique called Nadi Shodana , or alternate nostril breathing . This can help to balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain , so it's great to do if you're moving through like an analytical task and now you want to shift into a creative one .

It's just a great way to cultivate balance . So that's what we're going to do to help check in with our energetic balance right now . So the way we're going to practice this is I want you to hold your dominant hand out in front of you and then your two peace fingers . I want you to fold them down , and I also have videos of this on my YouTube .

My YouTube name is Holly's Asia . If you type in Nadi Shodana , holly's Asia , you'll see a video of how to do this . So fold down your two peace fingers and now you have what looks like kind of an awkward , rocker hand . If that's uncomfortable for your hand , that's okay . This is just the traditional mudra , but I want this to be supportive for you .

So you can just put down that ring finger as well , and then you have more of like a rocker hand and you're going to bring your thumb to your right nostril and inhale through the left nostril . We'll start with a count of four , then plug the left nostril and exhale out the right nostril for four .

So we're going to inhale right for four , plug the right , exhale left for four , plug the left and exhale right . So I'll guide you through a couple rounds and then I'll set you free . So we'll start with a cleansing breath , to begin in through the nose and out through the mouth . Bring the thumb to the right nostril , inhale left . One , two , three , four .

Plug the left nostril . Exhale right one , two , three , four . Inhale right one , two , three , four . Plug the right . Exhale left one , two , three , four , four .

Take two more rounds on your own and then release control over the breath again , notice where your body is supported by the earth beneath you and know that you can return to this space within you at any given moment .

And episode 71 faith said this is my body , this is my mind , this is my heart and I have control of it . I don't have to allow external forces to dictate how I feel in my body . So remember that with every breath , you can come back to this space within you .

You can shake off what was happening around you , that ultimately , you have control of what is happening within you . So , as we move through hard things , I hope you know that you can practice this again and again .

I want this to be a way in which you can cultivate a safe space within yourself , as well as practicing saying no and setting boundaries , to put yourself in more supportive spaces and communicate to others what they can do to support you .

So , again , if you want to practice this on your own , the three steps we went over today were taking a moment to pause and breathe , going through a body scan , noticing what was alive there's anything lingering , that's when we practice that energy bath and then ending with alternate nostril breathing to just bring balance in the body and in the mind .

You can replay this anytime you want to practice together and you can reconnect with these steps with every single breath . Thank you so much for taking the time to practice with me and one another today , and until the next time , let's just keep taking it , one breath at a time .