I recently attended a class taught by Roger Jahnke, author
of the ‘Healer Within.’ Whenever I
practice with Roger, I am always reminded of the beauty of going slowly and
just focusing on the deep breath. Allowing the breath to continue to slow down
as the practice develops.
As you practice this week, experiment with going
slowly. Let go of any focus on what the
next movement is and allow the breath to deepen. As your breath slows down and your focus goes
inward you will find that your practice deepens. Here are some ideas of breath
practices:
- Beginning with focusing on our posture. The lengthening of the spine allows for more expansion of the lungs.
- Xi, Xi, Hu breathing, this practice is a two part inhalation with a long one part exhalation. Try to make the exhalation as long as the two inhalations combined.
- Adding a pause. If it is comfortable for you, you can add a pause at the end of the inhalation and the end of the exhalation. Always noticing what feels comfortable with your body and staying in the comfort zone.
- Expanding breath. As you inhale imagine the breath expanding the lungs as you exhale imagine releasing from that area ‘ letting go.’ Then, with each breath imagine that the breath expands past the lungs, eventually, the breath expanding out to every cell in the body and then releasing whatever you need to let go of.
- Gratitude breath. As you breath, focus on an organ within your body. Beginning with appreciation for what that organ does, without us ever asking it to perform a function. Let that feeling of appreciation grow into gratitude and a smile. Imagine actually smiling at the organ with gratitude as you focus on your breath.
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