A Little, Often: Exhale

Right now, where you are

A Little, Often is a monthly feature on Balance Practice, offering (practical) yoga-inspired practices to support you to come into balance off the mat, where it matters most.

I’ve included an audio recording of this practice to guide you — subscribers scroll down to listen.

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The other day I told a friend, I’m so ready to exhale into summer, and she asked me what I meant. Releasing, calming, settling… there are so many ways to describe the feeling that accompanies the emptying of your breath. This is summer’s invitation — It’s a release valve of sorts after all of spring’s growth and action, I said.

We spend so much time doing things and hurrying around, which to me feels like continually inhaling. This inertia creates a distinct buildup. I mean, there’s only so much space to breathe into. And here I am holding my breath, yet again. Exhaling is the counterbalance. Remember you can’t have one without the other. Inhale, exhale — breathe in, breathe out… and so you might liken your exhale to slowing, clearing, calming…

You don’t have to wait.

Breathe out