Ananda Rising: breath and ASMR meditation for rising joy

What to expect

Ananda Rising — a 31-minute breath and ASMR meditation, read by Jenna

Wanting is one of the strongest energies we have, and most of the time it pulls us outward. This practice turns it inward and lets it rise: you settle, rest in the space around you and let go, then gather that energy low in the body and breathe it up, five slow rounds, to the crown of your head. There the voice comes close, in a whisper that moves from ear to ear, with soft taps and rustles. Then the feeling pours back down, rests in your heart, and fills the whole body, before a long rest and a gentle return.

How to listen:

Sitting or lying down somewhere safe. Never while driving, standing, or in water.
Headphones needed: the whisper moves between your ears.
The rising breath uses light, short holds. If you’re pregnant or have a heart, blood-pressure, seizure or eye condition, read Who this is for below first.
If you feel dizzy or anything feels like too much, stop, breathe normally, and open your eyes.

About

Who this is for. Adults who can safely do deep breathing with short breath holds. This practice isn’t right for you if you’re pregnant; have heart disease, high blood pressure, a history of aneurysm or stroke, epilepsy or seizures, glaucoma or retinal problems; have had recent surgery or injury; have experienced psychosis, mania, or dissociation; or find attention low in the body difficult because of past experience, including sexual trauma. If any of these apply, begin with a plainer practice such as Coming Back instead. If attention low in the body is hard for you and you’d like to work toward practices like this one, a trauma-informed therapist or somatic practitioner can help.

Before you listen. Sit or lie down somewhere safe. Never listen while driving, operating machinery, standing, or in water.

During. If your hands or lips tingle, breathe more slowly and less deeply. If you feel dizzy, have pain or pressure in your chest, feel panic rising, or anything feels like too much, stop the practice: breathe normally, open your eyes, and feel the surface beneath you. Chest pain or pressure that doesn’t pass needs medical attention.

If you stop partway. Stay where you are for a few minutes. Breathe normally, with long, slow out-breaths. Feel the weight of your body and the surface beneath you, name a few things you can see or hear, and drink some water. Don’t stand until you feel steady.

Afterward. Stay where you are for a minute before standing, drink some water, and move slowly for a while. If you feel unsettled, take a walk, eat something, and talk with someone you trust. If distress is severe, lasts, or gets in the way of daily life, please reach out to a mental health professional. This meditation isn’t a substitute for care.

Credits. The idea of turning the energy of desire inward and upward comes from Taoist, tantric, and kundalini traditions. The rising-breath sequence is adapted from the version popularized by Joe Dispenza, which draws on the yogic root lock (mula bandha) and breath retention (kumbhaka); this version is gentler, and it uses the sequence without his explanations of how it works. The way down around it, settling, resting attention on space and letting go, then a long rest and a return, follows the shape of his guided meditations; none of his words is spoken. The ASMR section works with a tingling some people feel at the crown of the head. Not everyone feels it.

Written by Jenna and Lee.

Transcript

Opening

Wanting is one of the strongest energies we have.

Most of the time it pulls us outward, toward something.

But the breath can turn it inward, and let it rise.

So today, let’s breathe it up, and let it become joy.

So for now, there’s nothing to reach for.

Everything this needs is already here.

Sit or lie down, your back supported.

Close your eyes.

Let the breath be easy.

Then leave it to itself.

Part One: Space

Notice the space ahead of you.

Behind you.

On either side.

All around you.

Let attention spread past the walls.

And further still.

Rest in all that space.

Part Two: Letting Go

Meet whatever is here.

Exactly as it is.

Nothing in it to judge.

Be here, waiting for nothing.

Let go of the body’s edges.

Of keeping track.

Even of letting go.

Part Three: Gathering

Now bring your attention low in the body. The base of the spine. The pelvis. The lower belly.

Notice what you are feeling. Warmth. Heaviness. Pulsing. Restlessness. Maybe not much at all.

And if there’s desire, or arousal, that’s welcome too. You don’t need to act on it. You don’t need to push it away. Just become aware of the sensations.

Feel whatever is here as life force energy. The same energy that moves you toward what you want. For now, let it simply be here. Gathered, and left alone.

Feel it the way you’d feel the sun on your skin. Noticing that it’s there, without reacting or resisting.

Part Four: Rising

With your attention at the base of your body, allow the energy to build.

Now we’ll let that energy rise, with the breath. There will be five rounds, and I’ll guide every one, so there’s nothing to count and nothing to rush. The rise is carried by attention, not force. Soft effort. Never strain.

For now, keep breathing normally.

As you breathe in slowly through your nose, you’ll gently lift the muscles at the base of your body, as if drawing them up and in, then the lower belly, then the upper belly. That is all the lifting. From the chest up it is attention alone: chest, throat, head, all the way to the crown.

Then you’ll hold the breath gently for a few seconds — I’ll say when to let go — with your attention resting at the top of your head. Then you’ll let everything go, breathe out slowly, and notice whatever moves.

Now.

Breathe in, and rise.