Breathing is one of the few “automatic” processes that our body does for us, that we can actually control. Learning how to calm the mind for even a few minutes a day can not only make you more productive but it also has great health benefits.
There is great power in the mind body connection. When you take a deep breath, your body will relax a little bit and your mind will follow. This allows us to slow down and feel things more deeply and clearly. And it’s in those moments of stillness that our creativity can be spurred, where new ideas come forth, where we get a sense of clarity on something and/or where we suddenly understand things that we didn’t understand before about ourselves, our world, our situation and/or our bodies.
I first learned about the power of breath work and mindfulness in a yoga class in 2018 and I continue practice daily! One of my favorite yoga instructors led us through a beautiful visualization that I will never forget. And I’m excited to share it with you!
As you approach this breathwork, it’s best to find a comfortable position either seated on the floor in a cross legged position, in a chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor, or my favorite position is to lay down in bed on your back with your hands at your side, palms up. I also like to dim or turn-off the lights.
In this exercise, when you inhale be sure to breathe from the bottom of your diaphragm, all the way to the very top of your lungs, generally this means your stomach will be distended (I know, that’s tough for women to do, as most of us are constantly “holding” our tummies in – but not for this exercise). Then when you exhale, empty your lungs completely (all the way to the bottom of your lungs pushing down on your diaphragm).
Ok, with those parameters in place, let’s begin.
Close your eyes and picture yourself sitting on a beautiful beach. It might be daytime with beautiful warm sunlight softly kissing your body. Or it might be night time with the light of the moon sparkling on the ocean. Either way, the waves and your breath move together in perfect flow.
Notice the waves moving into and away from the shore in a beautiful rhythmic flow. Now, take a slow deep breath in and visualize the tide coming into the shore as though your breath is pulling it in. Breathe from the diaphragm pushing your belly out, all the way in to the top of your lungs.
Then release your breath with a slow, long exhale and visualize your breath pushing the tide back out to the sea. Continue this deep breathing as you watch the tide come in and move away from the shore for at least 5 minutes or if at all possible, 15 minutes or longer. The longer the better. By doing this, you will find a deep sense of relaxation, and mindfulness as you simply focus on your breathing.
To enhance the experience even more, there are many tracks of ocean waves (on YouTube) and if you listen to the waves coming in and out, while you visualize them, it’s an extremely powerful experience in bringing you to a place of mindfulness and relaxation. You might even smell the salty ocean air or feel the mist of the ocean on your face or the fine grains of sand on your feet.
This form of breath work/meditation might require some practice if you’ve not done it before. It is very common for the mind to try and take over, taking your attention away from your body and breath. Acknowledge the thoughts that come into your mind and then release the thoughts and let them pass by bringing yourself back to your body and your breath. Continue to visualize the ocean coming in and out with your breath and you will find your moment of mindfulness as you momentarily disconnect from the chaos of our world and get back to the simplicity and beauty of the tide and rhythm of the ocean.
The more you practice, the easier it becomes. Over time, you will look forward to this meditation and breathing practice, and you’ll notice how it helps to relax you and clear your mind.
Certainly this is only one of hundreds of thousands breathing and meditation practices out there. And even though I practice conscious breathing and meditation daily, this remains one of my favorite “go to” exercises of all the practices out there because of its simplicity and the ability to do it anywhere and anytime. Enjoy your moment of mindfulness!
The journey to a healthier, happier you is so worth it. I know—because I lived it.
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