Breathing Techniques

Concentration on breathing is a very good way of achieving presence or mindfulness. It creates an internal focus and a quietening of the mind. There are many active and passive exercises that use breathing techniques and these are but a few.

Stand, feet shoulder width apart to give you a solid base, knees soft, back straight, tummy in and arms by your side. Slowly and smoothly raise your arms overhead while breathing in..hold.. and slowly breathe out as you lower the arms back down by your sides. Repeat three/four times. Progress this exercise by raising up onto your toes as you breathe in and raise your arms..hold...and return to standing with the out breath.

Stand as above but with arms stretched out in front of you. Draw hands in towards chest, palms facing in as you breathe in..slowly breathe out while pushing palms away.

Stand as above but with arms hanging down with fingers intertwined in front of you. As you breathe in raise your intertwined hands to chest height, breathe out while pushing palms back down. Breathe back in while raising arms in a frontal raise to overhead, unlock hands and breathe out while lowering arms to sides.

Abdominal breathing: Lie down, place your hands on your abdomen a little below your bellybutton. Become aware of the rise and fall of your hands as you breathe. Keep your awareness there for 10 breaths. Imagine your belly as a furnace. As you breathe in you are stoking the fire and as you breathe out the heat energy flows right to the tips of your fingers and toes. This heat energy is very healing. Direct it to any area of your body that needs it.

To become aware of the difference in shallow breathing and deep breathing try the following. Place your hands just below your collarbone and only breath in until your hands rise. You will experience this as a short sharp breath similar to the type of breath we associate with a fright. Now try placing your hands on your ribcage and filling only the ribcage with the breath. Again feel the restriction.

Complete Breath: As you breathe in slowly fill the abdomen first, then the ribcage and then to the tips of the lungs by raising the shoulders..hold..slowly release by emptying the abdomen, ribcage and tips of the lungs in that order. Repeat. This complete breath can be performed lying, sitting, standing or with the hand movements outlined above.

Alternate nostril breathing: As you breathe in close off one nostril, hold breathe in by closing off both nostrils and then release breath by releasing other nostril. Breathe back in on that side..hold..and release from the first side. Repeat slowly.