Conscious Breathwork
Your breath is always happening. We are always breathing.
Every breath is an opportunity to practice conscious breathing.
The difference between conscious breathing and regular breathing is with conscious breathing you are conscious that you are doing it.
With regular breathing, it goes unnoticed. Like an automatic car, it just does what it needs to do. Our bodies know how to breathe without our awareness that its doing it. But with automatic breathing, we aren’t using the full space the breath provides.
The breath gives us energy. It literally gives us life.
In yoga teachings they call the breath “prana”
Pranayama is one of the 8 limbs of yoga and it defines the life force energy within and the breath is the way to connect to that life force energy.
The simplest act of the breath is the way to connect your mind body and soul.
When you breathe consciously you are breathing with mindfulness and intention.
It becomes a form of meditation.
Eventually you realize that the practice of conscious breath work is the practice of bringing yourself back to the present moment, through conscious breath.
Your breath is what is regulating your physical body and energetic body.
Your breath is what helps you regulate your emotions.
Your breath is the bridge between mind and body.
Try it with me.
Breathe a little deeper with more awareness.
Inhale and then exhale, and then repeat over and over again throughout your life.
Notice how you feel the you do this practice.
Just notice.
Here are some breath work practices that you can try at home
4-7-8 breath : Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds ( this breath helps calm your nervous system and helps you focus on breathing because you are focusing on the counting as well) This pattern is very beginner friendly.
box breath : 4-4-4-4 inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold for 4 seconds, repeat (this pattern is also very beginner friendly and helps strengthen your threshold for conscious breathing. With the breath holds it helps create space within your breath body.
3 part breath : the 3 part breath contains 3 parts to it and those parts include belly, lower chest and upper chest. With the 3 part breath you are using all three parts. So try it with me. As you breathe in, bring your breath all the way into your belly and as you continue your inhale bring the breath into your lower chest and then upper chest. Then exhale it out. If you’ve never done this before it may feel awkward and abnormal, that is okay. If you are practicing it, you are doing it right. Eventually your body and mind will find harmony and it will become easier with time. 1.) breathe into your belly 2.) keep breathing into the lower and upper chest 3.) release 4.) repeat
Breathwork Practices
If you have any questions
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