Practice Abdominal Breathing FOR BEING IN THE MOMENT AND MANAGING DIFFICULT PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL SENSATIONS
- Relax the shoulders and lift up in the chest bone.
- Breathe into the low belly, below the navel.
- When you breathe in, the belly expands and goes out.
- When you breathe out, the belly empties and goes inwards.
- Breathe in a long, slow, deep, full, even breath.
- Breathe out a long, slow, complete exhalation.
- Empty out the belly and lungs. The relaxation occurs on the exhalation.
- Repeat this cycle for a few minutes in the morning and evening.
- Abdominal breathing cannot be overdone.
- Practice in a concentrated way at least twice a day and whenever it comes to mind.
Practice several times daily
Fantastic advice on using the breathe for centering, relaxing and regeneration. I do this in the morning when I wake, in the evening when starting to fall asleep and at other times if I need to center or calm down. These breathing exercises are also the fundamental basis of singing, which I find hugely relaxing. I sing weekly with a big group of singers and find that I can enter the rehearsal with my mind buzzing with thoughts and problems, but after a short while of breathing exercises and then concentrating on the music and the director, I am very focused on my breath, my sound and the piece of music we are working on. Singing for me is meditative, relaxing and energizing all at the same time! And the process involves a community of people with a common goal – to make beautiful music!
Now that’s a great outcome from breathing exercises!