The goal of this practice is to bring sensitivity and balance to both the diaphragm and the temples. Softening the diaphragm and keeping it soft during pranayama allows for efficient breathing and the fine-tuning of the breath, the powerhouse of the energy body. The temples act as an energetic bridge between the senses of hearing and sight. Maintaining softness and balance in the entire region from the opening of the ear to the outermost corner of the eye is pranayama in its most fundamental sense of the regulation of fluctuations of the energy body.

We begin with a few poses to open up and bring intelligence to the abdomen and ribcage. We follow that up with simple pranayama both reclined and seated. The practice ends with a Shavasana (Corpse Pose) that focuses on pratyahara, the withdrawal of the senses, in preparation for a seated meditation.

Perform all these poses with a head wrap, if available, unless otherwise noted.


Rope Shirshasana - 5 min
• alternate pose: Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose)

Uttanasana (Intense Stretch Pose) - 3-5 min
• head resting on blocks

Supta Virasana (Reclined Hero Pose) - 3-5 min
• over bolster

Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose) - 3-5 min
• over bolster

Parshva Bharadwajasana (Side Bharadwaja's Pose) - 3-5 min each side
• over bolster

Child's Pose - 3-5 min
• over bolster

Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose) - 3-5 min
• over bolster

Viparita Karani (Upside Down Pose)
• 3-5 min: breathing with full tidal volume only
• 3-5 min: Ujjayi 4 breath
• 3-5 min: Viloma 2 breath
• use the exhalations to find release in the diaphragm

Any comfortable seated pose
• 3-5 min: breathing with full tidal volume only
• 3-5 min: Ujjayi 8 breath
• 3-5 min: Viloma 5 breath
• use the exhalations to find release in the diaphragm

Shavasana (Corpse Pose)
• without head wrap
• 5-10 min: successive release of skin, tongue, nasal passages ears, eyes and brain
• 5-10 min: soften and balance the diaphragm and the two temples

Any comfortable seated pose - 5-10 min
• without head wrap
• soften and balance the two temples
• draw the wandering mind back to the sounds that come into your awareness. Allow all the sounds to wash over you without singling out any one of them.

Tags: Restorative, Pranayama, Meditation

Simple Supported Backbend - 5-10 min
• Fold two blankets lengthwise and two blankets widthwise.
• Take the long blankets and place them under the upper back and the short blankets under the head. Leave a small groove in between for the shoulders to hang into. Lie back with the soles of the feet flat on the floor and the knees up in the air.
• Soften the muscles of the neck, chest, shoulders and upper back.

Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle Pose) - 5-10 min
• Soften the lower abdomen and hollow out the pelvis, releasing the muscles that line the pelvic bones.
• Soften the ribcage and all the muscles that line the inner ribs.
• Soften the lungs, allowing them to deflate evenly, retracting inwards away from the ribs cage.
• Soften the diaphragm

Shavasana (Corpse Pose) - 5-10 in
• Use same set-up as simple back bend above, with a bolster under the knees.
• Soften and observe the movement of the diaphragm.
• Allow the stomach and the liver to move freely, descending as the diaphragm moves down with the inhalation, and rising as the diaphragm releases with the exhalation. Soften the organs and the ribs as much as possible to allow the most freedom of movement.

Setu Bandha (Bridge Pose) - 5-10 min
• Restorative set-up over a bolster or folded blankets, with thighs belted.
• Balance the movement in the abdomen with the movement in the rib cage so that neither one overpowers the other.
• After several minutes of this, begin to increase the inhalations and exhalations to a full tidal volume (the amount of air you can inhale and exhale without the muscles of the chest, back or core engaging to assist) for the remainder of the time.

Viparita Kaarani (Upside Down Pose) - 10-15min
• First establish a full tidal volume and continue for several minutes.
• With the exhalations, imagine the bottom of the lungs chasing away from the diaphragm and the diaphragm chasing away from the liver and stomach to create some separation between each of these three parts.
• Ujjayi 4: Increase the breath to full Ujjayi breathing. Use the inhalations to create room around the stomach and liver, the exhalations to separate lungs, diaphragm and organs. Continue for 3-5 minutes.
• Viloma 2 (Variation): At the bottom of each exhalation, create a brief pause where the breath is suspended, without hardening the breathing muscles. Use the pause to increase the separation of lungs, diaphragm and organs. Continue for 3-5 minutes.

Parshva Bharadwajasana (Side Bharadwaja's Pose) - 3-5 minutes each side
• Lie to the side over a bolster.
• Ujjayi 4: Use the breath to increase the space around whichever organ is elevated. On the inhalation, expand the ribs from the spine to the front. On the exhalation allow the organ to slide up and expand into the space created.

Seated Breath Observation - 3-5 min
• Establish a full tidal volume.

Ujjayi 8 - 3-5 min
Increase the breath to full Ujjayi breathing. Use the inhalations to create room around the stomach and liver, the exhalations to separate lungs, diaphragm and organs.

Viloma 5 (Variation) - 3-5 min
At the bottom of each exhalation, create a brief pause where the breath is suspended, without hardening the breathing muscles. Use the pause to increase the separation of lungs, diaphragm and organs.

Shavasana (Corpse Pose) - 5-10 min

Tags: Restorative, Pranayama