7 Tips to breathe easier

Life's purpose changes for many of us.  We are invited to allow people, events and experiences to shake us up and wake us up rather than put us to sleep.  Showing empathy and compassion for everything that arises on our path is allowing all we encounter to be our teacher, to show us what we are willing to see. Its all about opening up to unleash and experience more of our true selves.

Come what may, the rhythm of the breath is a gauge that helps us recognize which emotions we are feeling and what is really going on beneath the surface. Ponder these 7 tips to breathe easier;  

1. Listen to your breath

We can each come to sense more of what is going on within ourselves by tuning in and paying closer attention to the nature of our own breath. Simply noticing whether we breathe deeply, more shallow or somewhere in between, tells us much about what is going on inside of us.

2.  Ground yourself

As we breathe, we can imagine inhaling air up through our feet to ground ourselves in the Earth and feel more stable.  We can also go further, imagining the breath energy (prana or life force) circulating through the entire body. Focusing on this visualisation has a very peaceful effect.

3. Defrag & recentre

Multi-tasking may cause us to feel like we have a bit of vertigo. When different parts of us feel disconnected or spinning out of control, its helpful to stop wherever we are and sit down. Close the eyes and imagine each inhaled breath is facilitating a defrag.  We can retrieve whatever feels out of place. A computer defrag allows it to slow down and pull its files together to function more efficiently. Each exhale can purge whatever you no longer need. 

4.  Re-orient

When we are faced with life choices, an obvious best course may not stand out rigth away. Sometimes we can get worked up. Fear and anxiety may arise. A helpful approach is to visualize each choice and breath into and out of it and feel the vibe we get with each inhale and exhale.  Letting the rhythm of the breath guide us to what feels right for at this time takes a huge load off mental contemplation.

5.  Rebalance

At different stages, our bodies can seem to feel different temperatures in different places. Maybe the hands and feet feel colder than the rest of the body or, maybe the top half feels colder or warmer than the bottom half. We can always use the breath to help us find balance by sending energy to different parts of the body.

6. Be like an accordion 

Like an accordion, we sometimes feel stretched to our full capacity yet still feel more music could to come out of us. We can use the breath to increase the length of our exhalation so it is logner than our inhalation.  Typically, the rate of inhalation to exhalation is about the same in many people. Yet, we can focus attention on the inhale and gradually extend our exhalation in a sedentary and then a walking meditation. Such techniques are used by Free divers, singers, and individuals with breathing issues or others who simply wish to maximize the benefits from lung capacity and get more oxygen to cells.

7.  Massage the chakras

Awareness of energy anatomy can set the stage for another kind of breath meditation. We can focus on and tune in to each chakra in turn, breathing into it, and sense the state of energy movement, congestion and other details.  This can serve as the beginning of a more in depth breathing meditation which can also involve healing to provide relief from suffering and help us gain new insight into our deeper selves.