We always hear about the importance of breathing (To Breathe is to Live), but rarely are we told how to breathe. The breath is both autonomic and voluntary; it functions on its own when we are sleeping or unconscious, but we can also use it as an important tool for health and optimal performance. Here's a breathing visualization along with the correct mechanics that you can practice daily. The more you do this throughout the day, the more stress-free, authentic and centered you will become.
Sit comfortably in a chair finding the "sweet spot" of no muscular tension (shoulders over hips and back slightly forward so as not to grip the back muscles).
Zip up (Zip It! ) the lower abdominals to support from below, everything else relaxed.
Rest your hands gently on your thinghs.
Begin to breathe naturally, in through the nose, out through the mouth until you detect a comfortable breath rhythm.
Put one hand on your belly, the other on your chest and continue to breathe- notice which hand is moving (maybe both).
Gradually shift to breathing into the belly, bypassing the chest and shoulders (the chest hand should be still), belly hand rising and falling.
Practice this for a few minutes until it becomes automatic. Then drop your hands back down to your thighs and continue breathing into the belly.
Imagine there is an umbrella in your torso, the shaft is the central axis with the pointy part in your neck and the thick fabric part below the ribcage.
As you inhale through the nose, imagine the wide fabric part expanding equidistant in all directions breathing into the belly). Notice the side and back as well as the front body. As you exhale through the mouth, the umbrella gradually closes back towards the shaft ( zip up especially on the exhale). Repeat this at least 20 times consciously releasing tension throughout your body with each exhale.
Gradually open your eyes and notice how you feel. You might feel a tingling in your fingers or elsewhere and colors may seem brighter. This is your sensory neurons waking up and making you more present in your body and environment.
Practice this several times a day and notice the changes you experience.
#umbrellabreathing #diaphragmaticbreathing #bellybreathing #wakeupsensoryneurons #stressfree #authentic #centered
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