As we settle into this enforced isolation and the pandemic worsens, I’ve started to realize that I’ve been somewhat cavalier about my possible exposure to the virus: taking numerous trips to the store, offering to run errands for people who are quarantined, walking in the park. So I’ve settled in to a more strict routine of staying home, washing, disinfecting, and going out as little as possible. I’ve “sat” with my meditation group virtually, started playing the piano again, practiced yoga, listened to e-courses that have been on my to-do list. Yesterday my son and I baked bread “together” (on the phone)! I hope you’re all doing the same – keeping busy, staying calm.
I recorded a short (under 13 minute) breathing practice which I’d like to share with you. It’s a practice that focuses on the “central channel” of your body, an imaginary line reaching from the crown of the head to the base of the torso. This is a modification of a practice I learned from my teacher, Gary Kraftsow. It involves scanning down the front of the body, back up the back, and then down that center line. I have always found it to be a calming, focusing practice, and I hope you do, too. You can find it here.