Change your breathing pattern to release toxic energies
By Riza Pansacola Regis
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 21:36:00 08/25/2008
Filed Under: Health, Lifestyle & Leisure
MANILA, Philippines—Have you ever given attention to your breath? If not, observe how you inhale right now. Is it full and satisfying or is it shallow? What about your exhale, is it shorter or longer than your inhale?
Breath is not just the air that comes in and out of our nostrils. It is the “prana” or life force that gives vitality and sustains our very existence. Yet, we hardly pay attention to the full value of breath and take it for granted. The word breath is “animo” in Latin, which also means spirit. It is spirit that animates life.
Our first breath and last breath compose the parenthesis of our life span. In between birth and death, the breath connects the body with the mind and the rest of human faculties. Our first inhale on our own, which happens at the moment of birth, is the sign to the outer world that we are alive. At the end of life the breath may become more shallow, labored or painful before it comes to a halt at the last exhale.
Breath exercise
Allow me to guide you into a simple exercise in breath awareness. Seat comfortably with your spine straight. By inhaling deeply and exhaling completely, allow your body to totally relax from head to feet. Bring to mind an experience in the past that made you so angry and notice how you breathe. Then vigorously inhale and exhale, (nostril breathing, minimum of 10 sets) to change the pattern of your breathing. Now stop and get a feel of the sensations that surface as your breath subtly flows through your nostrils and into every part of your body. Changing the pattern of your breathing is a technique you can use to release unwanted thoughts held in your memory, as well as toxic energies from your system.
As grown-ups, we may have forgotten how we used to breathe when we were little children. Envision a baby in deep sleep, breathing effortlessly as the belly pulsates in perfect rhythm. Without care and woe, the baby breathes, cradled in constant state of peace and joy that radiates through an angelic smile.
If you would like to know the pattern of your breathing, ask your roommate to observe you while you sleep. Do you snore, or gasp, or even hold your breath on occasions? Does the sound of your breath emit sorrow or fear? Or, perhaps you are fortunate to still be sleeping like a baby, breathing deeply and rhythmically, in full cycles.
Breath awareness, as a practice, will help you discover more and more about yourself. This is why certain meditation techniques involve the observation of your breath which is a process that can bring you to an inner space of stillness and peace. It is in this state that natural healing happens.
Riza Regis pioneered crystal therapy in the Philippines in 1986 and has authored three books on crystal power. She facilitates workshops on Crystal Healing, Dance Movement Therapy, Nature Awareness, Yoga and Meditation here and abroad for individuals and groups. Her e-mail address is riza333@terraregis.net.
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