Winged Breath

Breathe gently and slowly in and out through your nose all the way through this exercise. The Winged Breath gives you the opportunity to concentrate on the often-neglected LOWER, LATERAL areas of your lungs. As always, CONTINUE ONLY AS LONG AS YOU CAN HOLD YOUR CONCENTRATION AND YOU FEEL COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE. Eyes open for now.

1. Stand (or sit) with your feet hip–distance apart, toes pointed forward. It is important to keep your shoulders down and relaxed at all times. ONLY THE ELBOWS MOVE, floating up as you breathe in and down as you breathe out.
2. Join your palms in front of your chest, with your elbows resting near your sides. Your hands never move during the exercise.
3. Empty first. Then take a full and gentle breath, floating your elbows up for as long as you are breathing in.
4. Float your elbows down as you breathe out.

THE LENGTH OF YOUR BREATH ALWAYS DICTATES THE LENGTH OF YOUR MOVEMENT. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

Sleeping with Monsters

Your sleeping body sheds copious amounts of dead skin cells because that’s what skin must do to keep you looking fresh and beautiful. To make matters worse, you are not able to be careful about your breathing when you sleep. Mouth open and all that.

Your skin cells are everywhere in your bedroom. So are the microscopic dust mites that feed on them and grow fat. Remember, Mother Nature doesn’t waste much. Mites survive because humans and their pets shed and, as thanks, they irritate your respiratory system because humans are super sensitive to proteins left behind in the mites’ feces.

Mites are microscopic, eight-legged, spiderlike, sightless super ugly critters that would be great in a horror film if they were as big as a cow. They eat. They poop. You cough. No symbiosis here.

They thrive by the millions in dusty, dark, humid, warm places. STARVE THEM OUT!

A perfect bedroom is bright, cool and dry without upholstered furniture and clutter (sorry, kids). If possible replace your carpet with flooring that can be wet-mopped. If you can’t bear to part with your lovely new bedroom rug, then steam clean it often. Shutters or blinds are better than drapes.

Vacuum and dust thoroughly at LEAST once a week. Wash your bedding OFTEN in HOT water. Keep pets and food out of the bedroom or at least bathe your pets frequently. Sweet dreams.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

The Two O’clock Crash

Two o’clock in the afternoon, Monday through Friday, is a dreadful time of day for most of us. Your body is busy digesting lunch and couldn’t give a flying fig about your report deadline. If you had any caffeine or sugar at lunch you are probably crashing about now from that very brief high. And yet you are still facing hours of appearing brilliant and perky. That’s what you get paid for.

Eat a lighter lunch. You are not a lumberjack (apologies if you are). Drink plenty of water. Coffee and sodas definitely do not count. Movement is king. Move your legs. Take a quick walk down the hall or on the stairs.

Move your diaphragm (no, I did not say remove your diaphragm). Without straining, gently blow out all your air, relax your abdomen and breathe in deeply and slowly. Stretch arms and legs. Remember your leg/bottom muscles and your diaphragm act as secondary hearts to deliver oxygen and keep your blood moving.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

Review #1

Define a “single breath cycle.”
One inhalation + a comfortable pause (full) + one exhalation + a comfortable pause (empty) = one cycle or one breath. A pause is not forced in any way but rather a natural turning point in the cycle. The air (as Nature intended) can change direction smoothly without jamming on the brakes.

Does attitude matter?
Of course. Breathing training is delicate, powerful, complicated, important and joyous work. You will be richly rewarded if you approach your studies with a sense of humility, respect and gratitude for your potential. Actually that’s a good way to approach all living beings.
Ancient Wisdom: Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it is dark.

What should I be feeling as I do breathing exercises?
There is never a need for even the slightest physical or psychological discomfort with advanced breathing training. If you ever feel uncomfortable or apprehensive during an exercise, STOP. Re-evaluate your technique and your feelings. Begin again only when you feel completely comfortable.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

LINK: Review #2

Healing Yourself

Will mindful breathing exercises make you well? Probably the better question is, “Will mindful breathing exercises prevent you from becoming ill”? Estimating the number of times you have dodged illness through your own efforts can only be measured statistically, but trust your instincts and your common sense as you puzzle over the question.

Can you use your mindful breathing to heal yourself? You honor your mind, body and spirit by making the effort. Since breathing is directly related to every aspect of your being, then breathing becomes a practical way to set up a dialog with mind, body and spirit. The final outcome of a problem may not be yours to decide, but conscious breathing will help to focus your clearest brightest light on the challenge. Be not like the child who kept digging up a seed he had planted to see if it was growing yet.

Gathering and Giving to Yourself

1. Breathe slowly, quietly and deeply. With each inhalation imagine that you can draw energy from a universal source into your hands.
2. When your hands begin to feel warm, lay them on the area of your body that seems weak.
3. With each inhalation continue to bring light and energy, a powerful force, into your hands.
4. With each exhalation, energy flows easily from you hands into your body.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

Healing Others

There is an ancient and respected belief that GOOD INTENTIONS THEMSELVES HAVE GREAT POWER. The clear and focused INTENT to contribute to the healing of another person may gather energy unto itself and launch your intent across a great distance. The breath seems an appropriate vehicle to intensify and deliver such intentions.

Gathering and Giving for Others

1. Breathe deeply and quietly until you feel centered and calm.
2. Imagine you are inhaling a measure of universal energy with each incoming breath.
3. When you feel serene and energized, select an image, a message or a feeling that you believe is the most appropriate for the circumstances. Remember, it is your INTENT that matters more than the content of your thought.
4. Let your heartfelt intentions and thoughts travel with each exhalation to the person or situation you have chosen. It is important, of course, to keep your own energy level up so you continue to have something to give.

Nothing is lost by contributing your strength and courage to someone in crisis. Your INTENT is a gift of hope, given with an open heart and with no strings or expectations attached. Send positive energy on its way and have faith that it was the right thing to do. Did your friend or the stranger improve? Survive? Hopefully. But, if not, you have not failed. TO TRY AND TO CARE IS TO SUCCEED. As old Erasmus said, “Give light and the darkness will disappear by itself.”

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

Silkwind Breathing

Part of the complexity and brilliance of your pulmonary system is that your breathing changes speed in accordance with demands being placed on your body/mind at any given second. All this happens automatically (although you have the power to intervene and go from Auto to Manual when it suits you). Cool.

However, when you overburden the pulmonary system you interfere with this exquisite engineering. Your pulmonary system is brilliantly designed to handle occasional assaults but modern man is piling on errors beyond what the body can handle at this point in human evolution: stress, drugs, cigarettes, air pollution, building toxins, inactivity, too much sugar, not enough exercise. . . .

The breath should flow easily and smoothly in and out of the lungs at a speed that is appropriate for who you are, where you are and what you are doing. Notice for a moment if your breathing is steady, even and smooth as a silk ribbon sliding between your fingers. Or is it uneven and raggedy? Are you holding your breath? Does the breath feel as if it is flowing all the way down to your bellybutton or does it stop behind your second shirt button?

Slow steady smooth breathing allows your body time to do triage on the incoming air. Since breathing is the bridge that spans mind, body and spirit, steady breathing has the power to calm your nerves and make your spirit more available.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.