During my daily walk, in the woods or in my city, I always feel the energy around me. I feel the open, expansive, inviting and enlightening energy of nature, the cloudy sky and sun above me and the ground beneath my feet.

I feel a mix of different energies from people I pass on my walks. There is certainly lightness and relief that we are "open" and "free" again, after months of restrictions in the fall and winter. But there is also a lot of old lingering fear, anxiety, depression and worry. For many people, the intensity of the past two years has just been too overwhelming and they can't find peace and quiet within themselves.

I want to share with you an exercise that I regularly do myself, especially when I go to sleep. But it also works very well in the morning routine or as a short mindfulness exercise during a busy day.

This exercise is very simple and at the same time very powerful and efficient in bringing back inner peace and harmony. It not only clears accumulated emotions, clutter in the mind and stuck energy from your system. It also removes toxins from the body as most of the toxins are released on exhalation and it rejuvenates the brain by increasing the oxygen supply in the bloodstream.

I love this breathing exercise because it works every time!

How to practice the nine purifying breaths:

Women need to do this exercise differently than men to balance the Yin and Yang element. In Eastern philosophies, men and the right side of our bodies are considered more Yang, while women and the left side of our bodies are more Yin. To bring and keep balance in our body, we start the pranayama on the opposite side, so left for men and right for women.

Men do three sets of three breaths, starting by closing the right nostril with the right hand, and the first inhalation is done with the left nostril. Women start by closing the left nostril with the left hand and the first inhalation is done through the right nostril. I describe the exercise below in a version for women.

If you have trouble imagining colors, no problem. Just focus on breathing in new, clean energy and breathing out impurities and unnecessary things that no longer serve you.

Starting position:

– Start by finding a comfortable sitting position. I like to sit on a meditation cushion in my bed or on the yoga mat during the day. If you prefer to sit in a chair, don't cross your legs.

– Straighten your spine and feel the crown of your head reaching for the sky, but keep your muscles relaxed, especially your neck and jaw. Your chin should be slightly down and your head tucked in slightly, keeping your spine straight and your check open.

– Close your eyes and gently bring your focus to the point between the eyebrows.

-Breathe in and out gently through your nose for 11 breaths to relax.

First Set:

-Raise your left hand, close the left nostril with your thumb and slowly, consciously inhale the air with the right nostril. Close the right nostril with your ring finger and hold the breath for a second. Now open the left nostril and slowly and consciously exhale completely.

-Now inhale through the left nostril, close it with your thumb and hold the breath for a second. Then open the right nostril and slowly and consciously exhale completely.

-Repeat these inhalations and exhalations three times, alternately closing the left nostril once and the right nostril once.

-As you inhale, imagine a pure, healing energy of light green color dissolving throughout the body and penetrating all places to cleanse and heal.

-On the exhale, imagine that you are exhaling negative energy of light blue color, which represents the male potential and the past. This will remove obstacles and blockages in the body.

Second Set:

Repeat the same cycle of inhalation and exhalation with the right hand, starting by closing the right nostril with the thumb.

-Continue to imagine a bright green, healing energy as you inhale.

-As you exhale, imagine negative pink energy leaving your body. It is associated with female potential and the future. This will remove obstacles, pollution and unnecessary energies from the body.

Third Set:

-Place your hands on your lap, the left hand on the right hand with the inside of the palms facing up.

-Continue to imagine a bright green, healing energy as you inhale.

-As you exhale, imagine the dark smoke coming through the top of your head. It represents all the obstacles associated with the present leaving your body.

When you are done with the breathing exercise, sit down with your eyes closed and keep breathing slowly. Feel the difference in your body, feel all the sensations, the lightness in your head, the space behind your eyes, the expansive quality in your chest.

You can conclude your practice by placing your hands in prayer and gently bowing your head to honor your body, this moment, and the breath itself.

Sending you all lots of love!