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We breathe not
only to take oxygen (as a fuel supply for our bodily processes) in
and carbon dioxide (the 'waste') out, but our breathing is also an
energy exchange with the rest of the world.
Breath animates our body. It has been said that inhaling and
exhaling symbolise the alternating rhythm of life and death, the
manifestation of, and re-absorption back into, the Universe. Many
ancient people believed that our breath is the vehicle of the
soul. In Greek the word for soul and air were synonymous: pneuma.
In the Vedas of India the vital principle, self, or soul was
called 'Atman' or 'Atmen', which also means air and which is recognisable to
us in an other Greek word fro air: 'atmos', from which we derive
our word for the atmosphere. In the practice of Yoga, breathing is
the focus-point through which the various yogic positions are
exercised. In Christianity, the breathing on or blowing upon a
person or thing, signified the influence of the Holy Spirit, a
belief which is based on very ancient traditions that associate
breathing with the assimilation of spiritual power.
The way we breathe
has an enormous influence on our physical health and state of
mind. Proper relaxed natural breathing oxygenates all of our
bodily tissues thoroughly and helps to excrete waste products from
our cells. It also helps us to stay in a centered, peaceful state
of mind and emotions. Tense, anxious and stressed people tend to
breathe very shallowly and if this becomes the norm, it can lead
to a huge variety of stress related physical conditions. This is
the reason why paying careful attention to the way we breathe may
often be more effective than taking medication, as many people,
who started to practise yoga have found, sometimes with amazing
results.
Giving attention to our breathing patterns is also an easy and
effective way to 'reset' our nervous system from a
'trying-to-cope-with-stress-mode' back into a nurturing, relaxed
mode. An example of how our body shows this to be true is the big
sigh we often spontaneously release after a stressful incidence.
Here is a lovely
collection of breathing exercises, you can play around with to
explore the mystery and power of breathing.
Please remember that breathing deeply, slowly and naturally is
very different from hyperventilating (quick deep breaths), which
puts unhealthy stress on your body.
breath to increase energy
Take a deep breath
whilst counting to 5. Slowly relax and let the air out for whilst
counting to 10. Sit erect and relaxed (or stand evenly balanced)
as you perform this exercise. Keep all of the body relaxed except
the hands (clenched fists) and the jaw (closed firmly).
Think to yourself that each breath is bringing a great surge of
energy to store within you. Notice the difference in yourself
15-20 minutes after the exercise.
purifying or
recycling breath
Inhale slowly
through the nose into your lungs and stomach. Before you exhale
again, push the air into your upper lungs and chest by pulling in
your stomach muscles and then let it flow down again. Do this 'up
and down' process three times. Then exhale slowly through your
mouth.
calming and
balancing breath to unblock chakra energy
Place your right
middle finger on your third eye (the space in the middle of your
forehead approximately at the height of your eyebrows) and the
thumb on your right nostril.
Inhale slowly and deeply through your left nostril as if your
breath was going all the way to your lower abdomen.
Now close the left nostril with your ring-finger. Keep the breath
inside you for a count of between 4 and 7 (or however long is
comfortable).
Next open the right nostril, by taking your thumb off, and exhale
through this.
Inhale through the right nostril, close it, count between 4 and 7
again.
Exhale through left nostril, inhale through the left, count
between 4 and 7 again, etc.
Repeat this procedure of inhaling and exhaling alternately through
right and left nostril at least 7 times.
sexuality breath
Inhale a series of
deep short staccato breaths (as if you were pumping) through your
nose and allow the air gently to push towards the lower abdomen.
Whilst holding this breath inside, contract and release your anal
sphincter and other pelvic floor muscles 7 times.
After this exhale slowly through your mouth.
happy or harmony
breath
Suck the air in
quickly through your nose with 7 little pumping movements
expanding your abdomen.
Exhale with 7 quick deflations through your mouth with little
pumping contractive movements of your abdominal muscles.
The whole process resembles laughing.
rainbow bridge or
awakening breath
With short inhales
and exhales, you start 'dancing' in circles around your navel by
directing the force of your breathing energy clockwise around your
navel: upper left, lower left, lower right, upper right and so on.
breath to
counter-balance a negative condition
Separate your feet
slightly, but keep them placed firmly in good contact with the
ground. Relax your hands, but allow the thumbs to make contact
with the index and middle-finger to make a circle.
Relax, take a deep breath, hold it for a count of 7 and then
release it easily. After a short rest, take another breath in the
way described.
Do this seven times. Then change your body position and put the
whole procedure out of your mind.
breath to
counter-balance an over-positive condition
Put your feet firmly
on the floor, but close together so they touch.
Place your hands in a 'prayer-position' in front of your chest
(the hands touch at the fingertips). Close your eyes and take a
deep breath. Then exhale slowly and when all the air is out of
your lungs, hold it out to the count of 5. Then breath in and out
easily and slowly for about 5 or 6 breaths until you are once
again relaxed.
Do this whole procedure (the deep breath, 5 counts whilst holding
the breath, slow exhale and easy relaxing breaths to follow) 7
times.
Then continue breathing normally and put the entire exercise out
of mind.
there are endless
further possibilities
For example:
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Breath
Meditation: Quietly observe your own natural breath move
in and out. If your mind wanders, gently return it back to
observing your breath.
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Relaxing a
tense body: Feel relaxation enter you on each inhalation
and tension leaving you on every exhalation. Work throughout
the body (for example from the toes upwards), paying
individual attention to each part). This exercise can of
course also be done lying down. When you do it well, which
takes a little bit of practice, you will feel revived!
A variation on this theme is to contract all parts of your
body in turn as tautly as you can manage on the inhale and let
them flop and relax completely (like a cloth-dolly) on the
exhale.
An other variation is to find images for good relaxing energy
and tense energy, and hold these strongly in your mind as you
inhale and exhale. Such images are very personal and depend
very much what your experience of relaxing and stress is.
Examples of relaxing images could be: warm pleasant sunshine,
beauty such as graceful strong trees, wonderful smells, etc.
Examples of tense images could be: Stressful work or
situations, anxieties, people which bug you, and so on. See
these images dissolve as the sun would dry up a muddle, see
them blow away in the wind, burn up into the sun, or whatever
suits you.
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Using
yourself as a transformer for 'bad' energy: Prepare
yourself for this session with meditation or other breathing
practices to get yourself into a happy relaxed state with a
full loving heart.
Then: Inhale 'bad', disharmonious energy (in a room, house, or
generally the energy of 'the world'), hold it lovingly in your
body-space to transform it, and exhale it as beneficent,
harmonious energy.
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Body
treatment: Inhale love/light/warmth/comfort or whatever
else seems relevant to you, to any or all parts of your body,
concentrating especially on those parts which you feel need
healing.
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Harmonising
group energy: Sit in a circle and hold hands. Tune in to
each other intuitively by synchronising your breath. Then
start imagining that you inhale through your left hand, let
the breath travel up your arm, into your body, hold it for 3
counts in your heart and then exhale it out through your right
arm. Pass it on through your right hand to the person next to
you. Circulate your breath energy in this fashion all round
the circle for a while until your feel you are tuned in to
each other.
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Tuning in
with a tree through breathing: You can use these various
breathing techniques as a medium to tune in and exchange
energy with a tree. You can hug the tree, make contact with it
by putting your back against its trunk, sit at the foot of the
tree, stand simply in its aura, or whatever you feel is the
right way for you.
On a physical level we form a complementing exchange system
with the tree. We are breathing in oxygen and 'excreting'
carbon-dioxide. The tree takes in carbon-dioxide for its
growing and releases oxygen.
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