In today's meditation and breathing practice,
We'll discover how less is actually more.
We think of taking a long deep breath in and a sigh out when we're stressed.
And that can have a wonderful effect,
Certainly.
But we often think that we're bringing more oxygen into the body when we take a deep breath.
Actually what science is telling us is that when we have a build up of carbon dioxide in the body,
Which is the exhalation,
Then that actually helps to push the oxygen out of the blood,
Out of the hemoglobin,
Into the cells of our body.
And as we know,
Cells need oxygen to live and multiply and thrive and be healthy.
So this breathing practice will be a little bit different from what we're accustomed to.
We're going to build up the carbon dioxide so that we oxygenate the cells of the body and bring more healing into our system.
Also when we breathe through our nose,
Rather than breathing through the mouth,
Nitric oxide is produced,
Which is a vasodilator,
Meaning that it loosens the blood vessels,
Makes them more pliable and expansive so that blood can flow more easily and smoothly.
So let's try this out.
Breathing into a comfortable seat and allowing your eyes to close if you like or cast a soft gaze at one single point on the floor in front of you.
And I'd like you to take one hand and place it on your chest and one hand on the abdomen right above the navel.
We'll start with two cleansing breaths.
So like you're used to,
Taking a long smooth breath through the nose and release the breath.
Allow your shoulders and face to relax.
One more time,
A long smooth inhale through the nose and gently release the breath.
Allow yourself to soften.
And then as you continue to breathe,
Notice if there's movement in the hand at the chest and if there's movement in the hand at the abdomen.
You'll most likely feel the expansion in both places and the gentle contraction in both places as you inhale and exhale.
And I'd like you to begin to explore if you can simply feel the rising and falling of the abdomen with the breath rather than any movement in the chest.
Going just through the nose,
See if you can begin to lengthen and slow down the breath.
And begin to make the breath smaller and smaller,
Longer and longer.
With no movement in the chest and perhaps a smaller movement in the abdomen.
At any point you can release your hands onto your legs or into your lap.
Just continue to explore how subtle and insignificant you can actually make your breath.
Feeling very relaxed in the body,
The shoulders and the face.
Notice if you can take in less and less air so that the breath becomes almost negligible.
Then you can begin to Madden.
Be on your knees.
You want to begin to feel like you want to take a long deep breath in but you won't just yet.
Just continuing to make the breath so small and subtle and negligible.
Relaxing into it.
And now go ahead and take a long deep breath in and gently let it go.
Feel free to do that once more if you'd like.
And then letting go of any alteration of the breath,
Any manipulation of the breath.
Just observe it.
Observe how you feel in your body and in your mind.
Sometimes the body temperature will rise as a result of that and you might find that there's more saliva in your mouth as well.
Very common when we activate the relaxation,
Healing response in the body.
We've just brought more oxygen into every cell.
So healing,
So potent and yet so simple.
Take a moment please here at the end just to thank yourself for showing up and practicing and healing.
Namaste.
