“I wake up every day and think, ‘I’m breathing! It’s a good day’” Eve Ensler
What a great way to start the day! Being consciously aware that breath is life and then celebrating that each and every morning.
Meditation is also a great way to acknowledge and celebrate the life that breath gives us. Just about every guided meditation you will ever hear will make reference to the breath. Whether it’s using the breath as a base for the whole meditation, or just mentioning the flow of your breath during your meditation.
I love breathing meditations because they are simple, straight forward and so effective in calming a racing mind and body! Along with giving you a great boost of energy whenever you do them.
They are also so versatile. You can concentrate on the count of the breath, where you are feeling the breath in the body, visualizing the flow of your breath as it moves through your body. And regardless of how I do it or what I focus on, it will always relaxes me. Guaranteed!
How about giving it a quick try right now:
Just take a nice deep breath….
Hold for a second….
And slowly exhale….
Another nice deep breath….
Hold for a second…
And slowly exhale…
Congratulate yourself on just doing a micro meditation! Just stopping for 10 seconds and being mindful of the breath can have a big impact upon what is happening in your mind and body. You may even notice feeling slightly relaxed or energized just from those 2 breaths.
As we go about our lives, we generally don’t notice that our breathing is quite shallow. We are constantly rushing around doing all the tasks we need to tick off for the day without a second thought for our breath and the impact that can have on our health and well-being. Are we breathing in enough oxygen to get into our blood supply and have our bodies performing at their optimum level?
Using extended versions of that simple 2 breath exercise above, my breathing and awareness of it has changed considerably through meditation. It has made me far more conscious of my breath at any given point and as a result I feel far more at peace with myself and my surroundings. I notice myself stopping at times to see how my breathing is. And it generally paints the picture of how I am feeling at that moment.
My breathing is deep and smooth, yep, I’m feeling great and the day is just flowing along with endless energy!
My breathing is shallow and rushed, uh oh, I’m stressed and struggling to keep up with the day. My mind is racing and things are about to get out of control!
But the best thing is, because I just automatically check in with myself these days, I am able to do something about it if it’s one of those ‘I’m about to get out of control’ moments. I take a minute to take in some nice deep breaths, relax the shoulders, and away I go again. Instant calmness every time.
There is nothing simpler than breathing. We do it naturally. So take action and start being a bit more conscious of your breath as you go about your day today. And if you want to take the next step, try out a few guided meditations to help you concentrate on your breath even more.
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