Mindful Breathing
Breath. How can we use our breath to bring balance into our life?
Breath is life, and without it, we have no life. But just as important as breathing is the ‘quality’ of our breath.
We have explored the benefits of Aromatherapy and Essential Oils, and I hope you’ve enjoyed an amazing experience of breathing in the well-being of the air around you.
Let’s do a quick exercise using an essential oil in either a diffuser or an oil burner. If you don’t have either of these, place a few drops of essential oil into a bowl of warm water and place your face near the bowl to breathe in the vapour.
Begin inhaling and travel with the breath, in through the nose, down the back of the throat and deep into the abdomen – that spot behind your naval. Then travelling from the navel to the ribs, allowing the breath to expand the diaphragm, the upper chest, the sternum, and finally into the collarbones as they lift gently.
Exhale by reversing this action; contract your abdominal muscles as you exhale from the abdomen slowly, releasing the breath from the upper chest, rib cage, and diaphragm and feel the warm air leaving your nostrils.
Now, place your right hand on your abdomen and your left hand on your rib cage to help direct the breath on its journey.
Can you feel a shift in your overall being?
Or perhaps a sense of peace as your heartbeat slows and the harsh edges of life soften. That is your breath bringing that shift and balance into your life.
Recent studies have shown that a three-part deep breath, rather than a shallow breath, allows you to take in and give out seven times as much air -that means seven times as much oxygen, seven times as much prana, and a more energised and balanced you.
And without realising it, because you are focusing on a deeper breath, you have found your mindful breath.
But what is mindful breathing?
Being mindful of your breath simply means observing and opening your awareness to your breath: to your breathing in and your breathing out, without controlling or judging it in any way, letting it be.
Becoming aware of our mindful breath allows us to focus on our breath more easily in daily life activities. It will assist with managing stress, increase the self-awareness of your mind and body, improve your emotional well-being and relax your body. Then, at the end of the day, it will allow you a more ‘’restful’’ sleep.
When you begin to practice mindful breathing, it is best to take yourself to a quiet place and close your eyes to focus on your breath without any distractions. After some practice, you will find it is like second nature.
I can now take my mindful breath practice outside and into life. For example, when I am in a queue at the supermarket, I can move into Mountain Pose (Tadasana) and find something ahead to focus on and just go with my breath.
It’s like automatically ‘clicking’ into mindfulness mode, where you can expand your mindfulness to anything you wish. It’s a beautiful process and journey of re-discovering your body, reconnecting with your mind and rejuvenating your spirit.
Mindfulness breath brings balance back into your life. Once you begin to look for more balance in your life, you will find your perspective on situations outside your control have a whole new outlook. Predicaments that appeared overwhelming are no longer important. Something someone said that really annoyed you and that you couldn’t let go of is no longer an issue.
On the other side of the coin, people and situations that you should focus on have more clarity, and you can see their relevance.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and you feel the burden lift off your shoulders. The clarity of mind that mindful breathing brings enables you to see a clearer picture, the big picture, without the haze and noise.
Enjoy delving into the balance of your breath over the next few days, and take notice of the positive changes it brings to your life and body.