This somatic breath technique invites us to tend to our bodies by grounding and releasing through our feet to explore areas that feel stiff. Stagnant. Even painful–offering a shift from pain to flow through circle breath.
Laura Haraka, Feel to Heal Somatic Experiencing Practitioner & YogaBody Breath Coach, teaches Circle Breath in this 18-minute audio practice.
I found myself outside, in my backyard, struggling a little with sitting, and so allowed myself to stretch, to wiggle, to bend, and follow my body’s intuition. I can also imagine listening to this breath practice on a walk.
Wherever you find yourself, enjoy✨
Transcript
[00:00:00] Laura Haraka: Hi, my name is Laura, Haraka. I'm a somatic experiencing practitioner, breathwork facilitator, and MINDBODY coach.
[00:00:10] History of Pelvic Pain to Healing
[00:00:10] Over the course of three years of pelvic pain, I used breathwork and somatics to heal myself. The breath has become my anchor and something I can always count on.
[00:00:23] Introducing Circle Breathing
[00:00:23] Today we are going to do something called circle breathing.
[00:00:26] Pain & Flow Are Opposites
Circle Breathing is a somatic breath where we create a flow of the breath in our bodies. During this breath, we are going to open pathways of flow to shift pain. Pain and flow are opposites. When we have flow in our body, we can't have pain.
[00:00:55] Find a Comfortable Seated Position
So before we start, I would just like you to notice the areas of your [00:01:00] body that feel comfortable, pleasant, or neutral.
[00:01:17] As well as the other areas of your body that feel constricted, tight or not as comfortable.
[00:01:33] Now bring your awareness to the right side of your body and then the left. Notice the felt sense, your body sensations of each side of the body.
[00:01:59] Which side feels better? Is one side more relaxed or calmer
[00:02:10] Start with Comfort & Circle
Whatever side is more comfortable. That is where you start. We are going to do this breath sitting down.
[00:02:24] We're going to create a circle with your breathing. Imagine you can breathe in through and up the more comfortable side of your body, starting with your foot, breathing through the foot, up the lower leg, and progressing up to your belly. Letting the breath wash over your pelvis, pausing there, and then on the exhale, going down the other leg [00:03:00] and out the foot. Pausing again at the earth.
[00:03:09] There is no particular amount of time for the inhale, the exhale, or the pauses. It's whatever feels right for you.
[00:03:23] You can place your hands on your belly, if that feels comfortable to help guide the breath.
[00:03:33] So now sitting down comfortably with both feet on the floor and closing your eyes or softening your gaze.
[00:03:46] We will begin by simply breathing in and out of your nose.
[00:03:55] So let's start by bringing your awareness to your feet, noticing the connection between your feet and the surface below you.
[00:04:22] Feel Into Your Body, Your Senses
[00:04:22] Sensing into the temperature of your feet, do they feel warm or cool Noticing which foot is more weighted to the ground. Your right or your left, and just allowing your body to keep your awareness on your feet, seeing if any sensations arise with their connection to the earth.[00:05:00]
So now putting your attention on your foot of the more comfortable side of your body, whichever that might be, right or left
[00:05:20] Inhale From the Earth, Through Your Foot
And on your next inhale, imagine your breath starting at your foot. Breathing through your foot and up your lower and upper leg to your belly, and then sense your breath crossing over to the other side of your body.
[00:05:46] And as you exhale, allow the breath to move down the other leg and into the foot and out through the earth.[00:06:00]
[00:06:01] Now repeating the circle, sending the breath on the inhale, up and through the foot, up the leg, washing over the pelvis and down the opposite leg.
[00:06:28] Resting at the earth. Continuing to repeat the circle at your own pace.
[00:06:42] On the inhale, sending the healing energy of the breath over your pelvis. Pausing for as long as you like.
And then exhaling down the other leg if it feels right. I invite you to pause on the exhale for a moment, connecting to the earth and sensing into the connection and support you have from the ground.
And on the inhale, breathing in all the richness, energy and abundance the earth always has for you, and bathing this energy over your pelvis.
Just continuing the circle.
Feeling the energy of the breath flow through you, through the foot, up the leg.
Over the pelvis, down the leg, out through the foot. Just continuing the circle.
And on your next inhale, imagine that your breath is a magnet and can pick up the more comfortable sensations in your body, and as you begin to breathe in through the foot and leg.
[00:09:10] Imagine your magnet and the breath picking up the more comfortable sensations from that side of the body as it moves up and crosses over. Bringing that energy across your body and letting it overflow into your pelvis, washing over it, bathing it.
And then allowing it to go down and through the other side. And I'd like to invite you just to repeat this at your own pace for the next few moments. Just [00:10:00] continuing the circle.
Really feeling the flow of the breath.
The energy moving within you.
The breath is life, the breath is healing, the breath is energy.
Continuing the circle. Bathing your body in all its healing, energy, moving, anything that stuck.
And bringing in all that heals on your next exhale, bringing your awareness back to your feet now and coming back to your normal breathing rhythm.
Noticing your body as you have completed the circle.
Notice what you feel in your body.
[00:12:17] Now let's reverse the flow.
[00:12:21] And let's breathe in through the opposite side of your body.
So putting your attention on the foot of your body, whichever that might be, right or left.
And on your next inhale, imagine your breath starting at your foot and breathing through your foot. Your lower and upper leg to your belly, sense your breath crossing over to the other side of your body, and as you exhale, allow the breath to move down the other leg and into the foot and out through the earth.
[00:13:20] Repeat the Circle
Now repeating the circle, sending the breath on the inhale, up and through the foot, up the leg, washing over the pelvis, bathing the pelvis, and then down the leg.
Continuing to repeat the circle at your own pace.
On the inhale, sending the healing energy of the breath over the pelvis, pausing for as long as you like, and then exhaling down the other leg.
If it feels right, I invite you to pause on the exhale, just even for a moment connecting to the earth and sensing into the connection and support you have from the ground.
And as you inhale breathing in all the richness, energy and abundance the earth always has for you, and bathing in this healing energy over your pelvis.
And exhaling down the other leg back into the earth.
And on your next inhale, imagining that your breath is a magnet and can pick up all the richness the earth has to offer you.
And as you begin to breathe in through your foot and leg, imagine this magnet picking up healing energy as it moves up and crosses over and bringing that energy across your body and letting it overflow into the pelvis and down and through the other side.[00:16:00]
And just repeating this circle for the next few moments, just breathing in the healing energy of the breath.
Sensing into the energy that the breath brings to your body.
Continuing the circle.
And on your next exhale, bringing your awareness back to your feet and coming back to your normal breathing rhythm.
Noticing your body as you have completed the circle.
[00:17:44] Laura Haraka: What do you notice now in your pelvis?
What do you notice now in your whole body?
Notice how both sides of your body feel.
I hope you enjoyed this circle breath. Thank you for practicing this breath with me.
