Diane's Detox...Let's Heal
Breathing; our lives depend on it.
I think it is safe to say most of us do not breathe deeply enough.
I think it is also safe to say we do not put proper focus on our life giving breath.
Simply focusing on our breath with deep abdominal breathing is a simple method of healing.
Oxygen is essential to healthy cell regeneration.
Deep breathing with focus relieves stress, reduces anxiety and may lower blood pressure.
Using any of the exercises below may be good for you!
What is abdominal breathing you ask?
The best way to describe and teach this is for you to imagine yourself as a pitcher of water filling from the bottom to the top and then emptying from the top to the bottom. Inhale and inflate your abdomen and then your lungs and then deflate your lungs and then your abdomen, just as though you were a pitcher of water. Contract your abdominal muscles at the end of your exhale as though you were trying to pull your navel back to your backbone. It is odd at first because we are taught to breathe and make our chest big, but practice, practice, practice. Never breathe too fast, or too slow, or make your self dizzy. Simply breathe in a comfortable and focused manner.
Another way to practice this is to lay on the floor and put your hands on your belly and breathe by pushing up your lower abdomen and then inflating your lungs. Once again, practice, practice, practice in a comfortable manner.
Okay, so how can you practice this deep healing breath with focus? Here's a few examples of what I do:
1-As I am breathing in I think, "I am breathing in."
As I breathe out I think, "I am breathing out."
2-As I am breathing in I think, "The energy flows thru me."
As I am breathing out I think, "I am well."
3-As I am breathing in I think, "Hong."
As I am breathing out I think, "Saw."
This means simply "I .....am."
4-As I am breathing I simply count to 5 on my inhale, hold for a count of 5 and exhale for a count of 5.
5-My favorite breathing exercise is one described
thoroughly on the bottom left hand corner of the
My favorite Tibetan healing breath exercise is done standing and is a 3-breath-pick-me-up.
Stand with your arms extended at shoulder height straight out in front of you.
Inhale deeply through your nose and purse your lips as though you were going to whistle and push your breath out fast through your pursed lips making sure your cheeks do not inflate.
Inhale again through your nose and exhale through your pursed lips.
3rd and final breath-Inhale through your nose and when you exhale through your pursed lips draw your hands back to your shoulders making a clenched fist and tighten the muscles in your arms. Punch in and out and in and out as fast as you can 5 times while exhaling, hesitate the punching for a moment while continuing to exhale and then begin the punching again until your breath is completely exhaled.