Closing your eyes or holding them in a gentle, downward gaze will help you to become more aware of your body by becoming more aware of your breath.
Examples:
Breathsensing (Apa Japa) – Resting on your back, bring your awareness to your ongoing and natural breath; there’s no need to change it, just sense how it is moving in … and out of your body.
Now notice the sensations of your breath in parts of your body, in your nostrils, throat, belly, and chest. Simply let your awareness rest on the wherever your breath is most noticeable, sensing the breath in your body.
Intuitive Breath
This style of breathing uses an open mouth inhale and exhale. This practice is very opening for the energetic body, putting you in contact with your inner wisdom, and allowing you to feel tenderness and loving care for the welfare of yourself and others.
Begin by breathing in and out of your nose for 3 breaths…
Now inhale slowly through your mouth. Exhale gently through your mouth. Find a steady flow in and out of your mouth for the next 3-5 breaths. S
Return to breathing in and out of your nose…. Return to your normal, natural breathing pattern. Notice how you feel.
Chandra Bhedana
In this breathing technique, close your right nostril with a finger. Inhale and exhale through your left nostril.
Chandra Bhedana quiets the brain and cools the body. Our left side is our yin side and our left nostril is associated with our body’s cooling, calming energy – symbolized by the “Moon” hence the word Chandra. It may be helpful if you suffer from heartburn, high blood pressure and fever.
Inhale and exhale through just your left nostril for 10 breaths.
Return to your normal, natural breathing pattern. Notice any sensations.
Let your body rest on the earth,
Let your breath arrive in your body,
Let your mind rest on the waves of breath,
Flowing in … and out of your body.
Strengthening the Diaphragm Bring your hands to the bottom of your rib cage, placing your thumbs on the back and your fingers on the front. Press your thumbs firmly into the rib cage but allow your fingers to simply rest on the front of the ribs.
Now begin to direct and expand your breath into your ribs, expanding your ribs against the pressure of your hands. With each inhalation the fingers of the hands move away from each other, with each exhalation, they come closer together as your rib cage moves like an accordion.
Continue breathing, providing resistance with your hands so that your diaphragm and intercostal muscles receive a gentle workout. Scan your chest, neck, back, and face. Are those areas tense and tight? If so, mindfully release tension on each exhale.
Continue for 10 breaths then return to your normal, natural breathing pattern. How does your breathing feel now?
Kumbhaka/Breath with Pause
Either lie down or sit comfortably, then take a full breath, filling your belly, ribs, and chest. Pause immediately after your inhalation until you feel the need to exhale. Exhale and pause immediately after your exhalation, until you feel you need to inhale again. Practice for 1 - 2 minutes.
*Do not hold the breath for long pauses, just hold long enough to give yourself an opportunity to notice the space between the breaths.*
Ujjaii /Ocean Breath
Inhale through your nose, then exhale slowly through a wide-open mouth.
Intuitive Breath
This style of breathing uses an open mouth inhale and exhale. This practice is very opening for the energetic body, putting you in contact with your inner wisdom, and allowing you to feel tenderness and loving care for the welfare of yourself and others.
Begin by breathing in and out of your nose for 3 breaths…
Now inhale slowly through your mouth. Exhale gently through your mouth. Find a steady flow in and out of your mouth for the next 3-5 breaths. S
Slow, steady, calm … breathing in and breathing out.
Return to breathing in and out of your nose…. Return to your normal, natural breathing pattern. Notice how you feel.
Chandra Bhedana
In this breathing technique, close your right nostril with a finger. Inhale and exhale through your left nostril.
Chandra Bhedana quiets the brain and cools the body. Our left side is our yin side and our left nostril is associated with our body’s cooling, calming energy – symbolized by the “Moon” hence the word Chandra. It may be helpful if you suffer from heartburn, high blood pressure and fever.
Inhale and exhale through just your left nostril for 10 breaths.
Return to your normal, natural breathing pattern. Notice any sensations.
Let your body rest on the earth,
Let your breath arrive in your body,
Let your mind rest on the waves of breath,
Flowing in … and out of your body.
Strengthening the Diaphragm Bring your hands to the bottom of your rib cage, placing your thumbs on the back and your fingers on the front. Press your thumbs firmly into the rib cage but allow your fingers to simply rest on the front of the ribs.
Now begin to direct and expand your breath into your ribs, expanding your ribs against the pressure of your hands. With each inhalation the fingers of the hands move away from each other, with each exhalation, they come closer together as your rib cage moves like an accordion.
Continue breathing, providing resistance with your hands so that your diaphragm and intercostal muscles receive a gentle workout. Scan your chest, neck, back, and face. Are those areas tense and tight? If so, mindfully release tension on each exhale.
Continue for 10 breaths then return to your normal, natural breathing pattern. How does your breathing feel now?
Kumbhaka/Breath with Pause
Either lie down or sit comfortably, then take a full breath, filling your belly, ribs, and chest. Pause immediately after your inhalation until you feel the need to exhale. Exhale and pause immediately after your exhalation, until you feel you need to inhale again. Practice for 1 - 2 minutes.
*Do not hold the breath for long pauses, just hold long enough to give yourself an opportunity to notice the space between the breaths.*
Ujjaii /Ocean Breath
Inhale through your nose, then exhale slowly through a wide-open mouth.
Direct the out-going breath slowly across the back of your throat with a drawn-out HA sound. Repeat several times, then close your mouth.
Now, as you both inhale and exhale through your nose, direct the breath again slowly across the back of your throat. Ideally, this will create, and you should hear, a soft hissing sound – some people describe it as an “ocean sound” or a soft Darth Vader breath. Practice this for 1 – 2 minutes.
Diaphragm Breath – Gently rest your hands on your belly, just below your ribs. Breathe into your diaphragm, and feel your belly rise on the inhale and sink on the exhale.
Diaphragm Breath – Gently rest your hands on your belly, just below your ribs. Breathe into your diaphragm, and feel your belly rise on the inhale and sink on the exhale.
Follow the breath and notice where it is moving.
Then see if you can breathe “bigger”, bringing more breath into the belly, opening the muscles in your belly and diaphragm.
Continue for 10 breaths.
Alternate nostril breathing
When it comes to breathing, every 88 minutes, either our left or right nostril is dominant. Alternate nostril breathing tricks the brain so it does not know which nostril should be dominant, allowing the breath to flow more evenly through each nostril. When you use this technique, your brain and the nervous system become balanced and you move easily into a state of relaxation.
· Lift your right hand up towards your nose.
· Exhale completely; then use your right thumb to close your right nostril.
· Inhale through your left nostril; then close the left nostril with your fingers.
· Open the right nostril and exhale. Inhale through the right nostril and then close it. Exhale left nostril, this is one cycle.
· Continue for 1-2 minutes. Always complete the practice with an exhale on the left side.
Sitali/Straw Breath
Sitali breath is performed by inhaling through a straw made with your tongue and then you close the lips to exhale.
Alternate nostril breathing
When it comes to breathing, every 88 minutes, either our left or right nostril is dominant. Alternate nostril breathing tricks the brain so it does not know which nostril should be dominant, allowing the breath to flow more evenly through each nostril. When you use this technique, your brain and the nervous system become balanced and you move easily into a state of relaxation.
· Lift your right hand up towards your nose.
· Exhale completely; then use your right thumb to close your right nostril.
· Inhale through your left nostril; then close the left nostril with your fingers.
· Open the right nostril and exhale. Inhale through the right nostril and then close it. Exhale left nostril, this is one cycle.
· Continue for 1-2 minutes. Always complete the practice with an exhale on the left side.
Sitali/Straw Breath
Sitali breath is performed by inhaling through a straw made with your tongue and then you close the lips to exhale.
If your tongue doesn’t curl, bend the sides up as much as you can and make a slight “o” with your mouth. You’ll still get the cooling drag of air across your tongue exactly as intended.
This technique is often translated as “the cooling breath” because the act of drawing the air across the tongue and into the mouth is said to have a cooling and calming effect on the nervous system.
Sitali can improve focus, reduce agitation, anger, and anxiety; and pacify excess heat in the system.
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