Breath is one of the most ignored functions of the body. It’s automatic, yes. But without it, we wouldn’t be able to live. Most of us view breath in the logical sense–breathing is good, I should breathe more mindfully. And as adults, we tend to primarily breathe short and shallow breaths from the chest. Without it we would not be able to live, but have you ever thought, “What’s the quality of my breath?”Is your breath jagged? Smooth? Deep? Shallow? And what does it tell you about yourself?
And with proper–smooth, slow, deep–breath, you can increase your energy, rid your body of toxins, and relax and calm your mind and emotions. Plus, when you practice proper breathing technique, it can extend the length of your life. Pranayama and the power proper breathing has has interested me over the last 20 years.So much so that breath has been the most powerful tool in my transformation. And from it, I mindfully release tensing, forcing, or breathlessness in order to keep my calm in intense situations. As I take on more in my life, this tool has become increasingly more precious.
I’d love for you to get more control over your breathing too. So I’ve put together the following practice to get you started:
Start with 5 cycles of deep breaths with even inhalation and exhalation (count to 5 for each inhalation and count to 5 on the exhalation to start, then gradually increase the length to 7 then to 10.) Then as you become more comfortable, increase the number of cycles. One cycle is one inhalation and one exhalation.
This practice will deepen your sense of self, automatically create a sense of well being, strengthen your intercostal muscles, detox your body, clam your mind. It is such a simple thing and has such a profound affect.
Questions about this or anything else? Don’t be shy, reach out to me.