Breathing To Increase Lung Capacity

This is a gentle breath meditation using a practice of ratio to deepen your capacity for breath. It is recommended to move the body a bit before practice. If you've been sitting at a desk or still, I recommend taking a few minutes to move the spine. It doesn't need to be grand, I suggest a little side bend, twist, a little back bend, a little forward bend... moving the spine in all the ways, with the intention to open the lines of energy in the body so that we can sit and breathe a bit fuller and deeper.

Transcript

Hi and welcome. There is a proverb that says, He who half breathes, Half lives. He who half breathes, Half lives. So we'll take the next few minutes to do a breath practice to deepen the breath so that we can feel our most vibrant selves. Now this practice is best done after you've had a little movement. So if you've been sitting all day at a desk or if you just woke up, Up, I do recommend pausing this meditation and moving the body. It doesn't have to be big, It doesn't have to be grand, It doesn't have to be an hour or two hours. All I ask is that you move the spine in all the ways. Start with a little side bending, A little twisting, A gentle forward bend, Back bend, Or easy cat-cow. It doesn't have to be big, But open the lines of energy in the body so that we can sit together in the stillness and the fullness of the breath. Time. If you are ready to breathe with me. Find a nice tall seat. It is the first rule of breathing. You might be sitting on a cushion or a blanket or the earth or you might be sitting on the edge of a chair with your feet firmly rooted. Trace your spine all the way up. You might slide the corners of your neck back so your head is right over your heart. And notice the back of the body. Can you melt your shoulder blades onto your back, Reroute the base of the pelvis, And arrive? We'll start together with an inhale through the nose. And out the mouth, Let it go. Do that again, Smooth inhale. And let it go. Closing the lips softly. Through the nose, Inhale. And through the nose, Exhale. Through the nose, Inhale. And through the nose, Exhale. Now, I'm going to invite you to add a silent count of six to both sides of the breath. And if six feels stressed or forced, Make it five. It's fine. So starting from 1, Inhaling, Counting up to 6. And starting from one exhale, Counting up to six. So inhaling six. And exhaling 6. Continuing. Now I'm going to invite you to add a silent count of two at the bottom of your exhalation. So inhaling six. Exhaling six, And hold the breath for two. Now I'm going to invite you to add that count of two at the top of the inhalation. And the bottom of the exhalation. So inhaling six, Hold two. Exhaling 6. And hold 2. And if you're feeling pretty receptive here. We'll inhale for six, Hold the breath for three, And exhale for six, And hold the breath for three. This time inhale for six, Hold the breath for two, And exhale six, Hold two. And inhale six, No hold. And exhale six, No hold. The next time you exhale, Let the numbers float away. And just be. You might stay here and bake. Otherwise, When you are ready, Softly. . . Fluttering your eyes open, Taking in your surroundings. And have a beautiful day. Beautiful rest of your day.