16 Feb 9 Relaxing Breaths

And with this practice tip, I wish you all a very happy weekend!

This is a practice I´ve learned from Lama Tsultrim Allione, and amazing teacher and author.

Practice for yourself, or share with a friend or your client. This meditation will take you 3-5 minutes, and the purpose is to give yourself a pause. It can also be used as preparation to pranayama, concentration or meditation practice.

Clinical application: The function of this practice is to increase vagal tone of the nervous system, that is increasing parasympatic engagement (at-ease-mode). As this practice holds a visualisation component (ref: imagine) please consider practice skills of who you share this with, and cognitive level. Contraindication: breath exercises are not to be practiced when anxiety or panic attack is on the rise. Practice in normal state, with aim to cultivate skills of recognizing when anxiety is on the rise, enabling you to take helpful actions in that moment.

1. Grounding by standing firmly with both feet on the ground, or sitting comfortably. Close your eyes if you like, or keep your gaze softly into the floor.

2. Nine deep breaths through your nostrils, the first 3 with focus on exhaling bodily tensions, the next 3 to exhale any mental tensions, and the last 3 to exhale any emotional tensions 

3. Bodily tensions: Inhale deeply, imagine breathing down through the spine, and as you exhale fully, visualizing to exhale any bodily tension you might have in this moment. Repeat in total 3 times.

4. Mental tensions: Inhale deeply, imagine breathing down through the spine, and as you exhale fully, visualizing to exhale any mental tension you might hold on too (thoughts, memories etc) in this moment. Repeat in total 3 times.

5. Emotional tensions: Inhale deeply, imagine breathing down through the spine, and as you exhale fully, visualizing to exhale any emotional tension you feel present in this moment. Repeat in total 3 times.

Enjoy!