From the moment we are born to the moment we die,
We breathe.
This meditation is all about harnessing the power of breathing,
Allowing it to become one of our greatest allies in the healing process.
There are many ways in which we can use the breath.
I'm hoping through my meditation series you will learn how to connect with your breath and develop the tools and techniques to use breathing as a way to both calm or activate your nervous system when needed.
With each breath we exchange carbon dioxide molecules from inside our body for oxygen molecules from the air in our surrounding environment.
We expel waste with each out breath and renewal with each in breath.
The rhythm of our breathing changes considerably in response to our activity and our feelings.
If we exercise or experience emotional upset,
Our breath quickens.
During periods of sleep and deep relaxation,
Our breath slows.
Shift your attention now to your breathing in this moment.
What do you notice about your breath?
Explore it without judgement and with open curiosity.
You might try to be aware of your breathing when you're excited,
Angry,
Surprised and relaxed.
Notice how it shifts with each differing emotion.
In focusing on the breath when we meditate,
We are learning from the beginning to get familiar and comfortable with change.
We learn the importance of being flexible.
One of the beautiful things about the breath is that it's always there,
No matter where we are,
What we're doing or how we're feeling.
Tuning into the breath grounds us in the here and now and anchors our awareness to the body.
It's okay if at first you find it difficult to focus on the breath.
It's normal in the beginning to have difficulty watching the breath without trying to regulate it.
If this happens,
Thank yourself for your efforts and return your attention back to your breath.
Any moment during the day when you bring your attention to your breathing in this mindful way becomes a moment of meditative awareness.
It's an effective way of tuning into the present moment,
Orienting yourself to your body,
What you're feeling and what you're doing in your day to day life.
The first technique we're going to focus on is called diaphragmatic breathing or abdominal breathing.
Diaphragmatic breathing is much deeper and slower than chest breathing and involves breathing in a particular way that relaxes the belly.
In abdominal breathing,
The idea is to intentionally relax your stomach as much as you can.
Then,
As the breath comes in,
The belly expands on its own in an outwards direction,
Almost like there is a balloon filling up inside your belly on the in-breath and deflating gently on the out-breath.
In the beginning,
You might find it helpful to lie on your back or place a hand on your stomach,
Feeling it move as the breath flows in and out.
Your hand should be rising during the inhalation and falling during the exhalation.
Now that you're aware of how the technique works,
Let's try an exercise.
Assume a comfortable position lying on your back or sitting.
If you're sitting,
Try to keep the spine straight and let your shoulders drop.
Let go of any tension in your neck and shoulders.
If it feels comfortable,
Allow your eyes to close.
Gently shift your attention to your belly.
Feel your belly rise and expand gently with the in-breath and fall or deflate with the out-breath.
As best you can,
Allow yourself to focus on the various sensations associated with breathing,
Beginning with each in-breath for its full duration and being with each out-breath for its full duration,
As if you're surfing a wave.
Every time you notice your mind wander,
Notice what it was that carried you away and then gently bring your attention back to the belly and the sensations associated with the breath coming in and with the breath going out.
No matter how many times your mind wanders,
Simply notice what it is on your mind at the moment you realize it's no longer on your breath and then shift your attention back to the breath each and every time,
Regardless of what it becomes preoccupied with.
Continue to rest your awareness in the feeling of the breath moving in and out of the body.
Take a few more moments to rest your awareness and notice your breath moving in and out.
Practice this exercise for 15 minutes each and every day,
Whether you feel like it or not,
And for one week and see how it feels to incorporate a breathing meditation exercise into your day.
Notice how it feels to spend some time each day just being with your breath,
Pausing and being still.
