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Breathing Techniques

2/10/2017

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Last week I discussed the importance of breathing properly (from the belly and not the chest) to receive the most healthy, stress-reducing, benefits.  One of the readers, Joanne M., requested that I expand upon this topic and provide some different techniques.  Great idea, thanks for the suggestion!

Here are a few techniques to try out for various needs you may have throughout the day:

For Deep Relaxation
  • Lie on your back with arms and legs outstretched
  • Begin to pay attention to your breathing rhythm, gradually allowing it to deepen
  • Now take a slow, complete breath
  • Inhale: Expand 1) abdomen, 2) middle chest, 3) upper chest
  • Exhale: Contract 1) abdomen, 2) middle chest, 3) upper chest
  • Repeat three times, using the exhale to release your body completely into the support of the floor

This technique is courtesy of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine.  
 

To Center Yourself and Focus
  • Take three slow, deep breaths
  • With the first breath focus on calming your mind
  • With the second breath focus on calming your body
  • With the third breath silently wish someone well, saying in your mind, “May (insert name here) be happy.”

This technique I learned from Marc Lesser, CEO of Search Inside Yourself.
 

For High Stress Situations
  • Breathe in for a count of 4
  • Hold for a count of 4
  • Breathe out for a count of 8
  • Hold for a count of 4
  • Continue this process for several more breaths

This technique I learned from Emma Seppala who is from Stanford and Yale and author of the book The Happiness Track: How to Apply the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Success.
 

To Increase Love and Compassion
  • Start with 2 minutes of resting your mind and focusing on your breath
  • Consciously connect with the goodness inside yourself: your love, compassion, altruism, inner joy.  You may want to visualize your goodness radiating out of your body as a faint white light.  Focus on that image for a moment.
  • When you breathe in, breathe all your goodness into your heart.  Use your heart to multiply that goodness by a factor of ten.  And when you breathe out, send all that goodness out to the whole world.  If you wish you may visualize yourself breathing out a brilliant white light representing this abundance of goodness.
  • Continue this for 2-minutes
  • Now connect with the goodness within everyone you know.  Everyone you know is a good person, possessing some goodness.  If you wish, you may visualize their goodness radiating out of their bodies as a faint white light.  When you breathe in, breathe all their goodness into your heart.  Once again, use your heart to multiply that goodness by a factor of ten.  And when you breathe out, send all that goodness out to the whole world. 
  • Continue this for 2-minutes
  • Finally, connect with the goodness within everybody in the world.  Everybody in the world possesses at least a hint of goodness.  As before, you may wish to visualize their goodness radiating out of their bodies as a faint white light.  When you breathe in, breathe all their goodness into your heart.  Use your heart to multiply that goodness by a factor of ten.  And when you breathe out, send all that goodness out to the whole world.   
  • Continue this for 2-minutes
  • End with one minute of resting your mind and focusing on your breath

This technique is from Chade-Meng Tan, author of the book Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace).


Wishing you success in all aspects of life,
Tom Klisiewicz
Founder and President
Smart Health Wellness and Performance

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  • Home
  • Benefits
    • Academic Research
    • Testimonials
  • Employers
  • Organizations
    • Doctors & Hospitals
    • Health & Wellness Resorts
    • Schools
    • Support Groups
  • Youth Programs
    • Constructing the Mind of a Champion
    • Resilient Youth
  • Resources
    • Blog
  • About
    • Our Programs >
      • Mindfulness for Health Wealth and Well-Being
      • Be Resilient & Emotionally Brilliant
      • Dear Stress - It's Not You, It's Me
      • Meditations for Life
    • Our Clients
    • Our Founder & President
    • Our Partners
    • Location
    • Contact
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