SO Sundays:
a monthly breathwork + meditation circle

overview

Cultivating presence is a practice. Some approach it from a scientific perspective, focusing on the physiological benefits that come from manipulating the breath and quieting the mind. Others approach it from a spiritual one, focusing on the metaphysical benefits that come from attuning to spirit and energy. It doesn't much matter which path you choose—both lead to the same soft awareness of the here and now.

Presence is about listening and observing. It’s about paying attention to what is rather than doing, doing, doing. It’s about developing a relationship with a deeper sense of self that exists beyond the mental chatter of the mind. Presence allows us to step out of the stories that govern our lives—to remember that we are small elements in an exquisitely vast universe. This perspective humbles us, liberates us from the weight of our perceived aloneness. Emerging from presence, we often find that everything flows just a little bit easier.

We (Sarah + Oliver) have both endured long stretches in which we allowed our interior landscapes to be dominated by external forces, subjected to the limited perception of our minds. Time and again, breathwork and meditation have proven invaluable in helping us return to ourselves and to what is real. It is a great honor to share them with you!

our offering

SO Sundays is a virtual breathwork + meditation circle designed to help us access presence. It's an opportunity to come together once a month with the shared intention of cultivating a deeper sense of connection with ourselves and the world around us.

Breathwork

Breathwork, also known as pranayama in the yogic tradition, is an active practice in which we manipulate our breathing patterns to stimulate either the sympathetic or the parasympathetic nervous systems. Unlike meditation, it requires gentle physical effort and offers immediate physiological results such as:

increased energy
enhanced focus
emotional regulation
stress relief
relaxation

Meditation

Meditation takes infinite forms but all of them help us settle into presence. By focusing our attention on the breath, a mantra, our bodies or a visualization, we give our minds a rest.

Through meditation, we learn how to temporarily detach from our preoccupations, which creates space for us to observe the subtler notes of our experience. It's a kind of mental training. By bringing our awareness back to the here and now, over and over, we gradually learn how to direct our thoughts rather than being directed by them.