The foundation of meditation is the breath. Many students recognize that the first step to starting a meditation practice is to recognize and follow the breath or breathing. It puts us in touch with our humanity, it connects us to our moment and grounds us in ways we can’t always recognize in the beginning of our practice.
Today lets reconnect with the breath by simply going through the basics:
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Inhale slowly through the nose to the count of three. Place your attention on the expansion of your chest and the sound of your breath.
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Pause at the top of your inhale for another two seconds. Rather than holding your breath think of it as resting your breath. (The idea of holding often causes us to tense up, and we want to try to relax before the exhale).
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Now slowly exhale and let go of all of the air in your lungs for a count of six, keeping your jaw relaxed.
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Keep going for a few more rounds.
Tips:
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Experiment with different counts that feels nourishing for you. Go down by a count of 1 in each part if you’re feeling any stress or strain.
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If it feels easy, you can try increasing each section by a count of one.
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Bring a hint of a smile to your lips helps to relax your jaw.
Peace and Love, Jim
