Learn how to breathe deeply

Have you ever listened or observed an opera singer, or for any singer that matter with a big voice? Notice the power of their voices comes from the depth of their breath. There’s a lot to be said for the power of the breath, or prana. Our breath is our life force. It keeps us alive.

Yet it’s amazing how most of us react when we become stressed, anxious or in pain. We clam up. Most of us breathe from our chest upwards on a daily basis; our breathing is shallow.

Simple as it may sound, just by learning to breathe from the abdomen or the stomach area, our bodies and our minds become relaxed. It’s in this state of relaxation that we become naturally at ease and this is probably the most easiest form of meditation.

Try the following simple exercise:

Sit comfortably on a chair, hands facing up on your lap. Make sure your back is upright, not slouched; this allows for your breath to move up and down freely through your body.

Close your eyes. Take a long, slow, deliberate breath in. Slowly breathe out. Just breathe in until it’s comfortable and release for one, two, three, four counts.

• Repeat this ten times, each time observe any tingling sensations you may have in your body. Do you experience tingling in your fingers or toes? Any light flurries in the body?
• If you don’t experience any sensation, don’t worry. Worrying about what you should be experiencing is a normal reaction when starting out in meditation.
• Practice a round of ten breaths every day. You will begin to feel your body relaxing and begin to enjoy your body and mind being in a state of relaxation.
• It’s from this space, the act of focusing on the breath and distracting the mind from the daily chatter, that gives you the necessary mindfulness to be active, creative and happy.

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