class for my ailing friend

7/16

We start with our sitting alignment, 7 steps to being physically placed in the most stable position for closing our eyes without danger of tipping over and most open to encouraging the connection between our self, imagine a drop of seawater, and God, which would be the ocean.

Observe our body weight outside sitting on the floor, our skin feeling alive, tingling where we can bring our mental focus; and with our breath we feel our skin receiving and releasing. We try and observe the whole body on several levels at once. Without getting stuck on visualization, letting go of thoughts, we experience our body directly. Observe the interior structure by being aware of our bones, muscles, tissues, fluids and energetic pathways.

The conscious breath relaxes our body and mind. For another ten minutes we let the breath guide our attention from the mix of inbreath swirling coolness subtly into sinus cavities, stimulating an energetic acceptance along nasal passages, and watch the outbreath give the warmth out from our bodies. Watching the breath flow further thru bronchi into lungs, stretching the bottom of our lungs, mixing into our bloodstream. The entire process extends further, forth thru stimulation of our visceral organs and back with massage of heart and lungs pressed empty. This process of relaxation releases peptide molecules from our hindbrain which in turn encourages the regulation of breath which further helps unify all body systems. The conscious breath hooks us to the vital prana as if we have this permanent IV connection to life, which happens to be our respiratory apparatus.

We break from traveling our interior because I want to ask about prayer. I have limited experience with it thru my childhood faith.
Marie says prayer seems a natural connection we feel from an innate knowing, as when a parent worries about a child getting home safely.
Perhaps prayer can be our compassionate focus sent out with an energetic intention.
Our openess in today's yoga practice can be the conduit for a prayer for my friend as well as giving back to ourselves the healing energy we acknowledge saying "Namaste".