Temple Breath

During the Temple Breath you are tracing a big inverted heart in the air with your fingertips. Breathe in through your nose and then exhale slowly through tightly pursed lips (as if you were making a long thin smooth “ribbon” of air). IMPORTANT! Remember that you always set up a comfortable breathing rhythm FIRST and only then match the movement to the breath.

1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart with toes pointed forward. Keep your shoulders and neck completely relaxed especially when your arms are raised. As always, empty before you begin.
2. Join your palms in front of your chest. Inhale slowly while you are moving your joined palms up past your nose and as far overhead as you can easily reach.
3. As you blow out a breath slowly through pursed lips, separate your hands stretching them first out sideways, then downward and finally back to their starting position (palms together in front of your chest). At this point you will have completed one complete breath cycle). Continue for as long as you are comfortable.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

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.

Falling Leaf Breath

Sit on a straight chair with your weight distributed evenly along the back of your thighs and your feet flat on the floor. To balance your spine and lungs correctly your tailbone should never touch the chair seat. Rest your palms on your knees and let your shoulders stay down and quiet during the entire exercise.

During each inhalation “float” your hands up in front of your shoulders and over your knees.

Float your arms down, returning palms to knees, as you breathe out. The outgoing air exits through an almost silent “shhhhhh” – so quiet that the person nearest you wouldn’t hear. The movement and the breathing are smooth and steady.

Lead upward with the backs of your wrists and down with the insides of your wrists. As always, first establish a comfortable natural breath cycle and only then match the movement to it. Think of the breathing as the music and the movement as the dance.

Continue only as long as you feel comfortable and can remain focused.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

Breathing Trumps Movement

When you are practicing a breathing exercise that involves physical movement (such as the Shoulder Lift) BREATHING GUIDES MOVEMENT, not the other way around. The average person tends to concentrate on setting up a graceful movement and then hopes that their breathing will eventually keep pace (if they think about their breathing at all). Remember that BREATHING IS ALWAYS THE FIRST HORSE OUT OF THE GATE!

Always establish a comfortable breathing pattern FIRST and THEN build the movement on that breathing pattern. In other words, breathing is the music. Movement is the dance. That is often more difficult than it sounds because we are a visual species and the internal stuff demands a sharper focus.

The timing and rhythm of your breathing is calculated and automatically adjusted for you by your beautiful brain. Your brain takes into account gender, posture, medication, hormone levels, age, weight, state of mind, content and location of your last meal, ambient air temperature, fitness and very likely a dozen subtle things that man has yet to discover. Our responsibility is to be aware and respectful of the process! Start breathing and THEN move.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.