Two Core Techniques in Breathwork

This is the second article in a new series on the Practice of Breathwork and the Path of Breath Mastery. In the first article, we explored the Two Basic Aspects of the Practice. They are:

1. Breath Awareness
2. Conscious Breathing

Now we will focus on Two Core Exercises or Techniques:

1. The Coming Home Breath
2. Continuous Breathing

Another name for the “Coming Home Breath” is the “Cleansing Breath.” Another name for “Continuous Breathing” is “Connected Breathing.” The Coming Home Breath is basically an exaggerated sigh of relief. Continuous Breathing means to spin the breath like a wheel.

The Cleansing Breath involves a full expansive inhale with a quick and total release of the exhale. Continuous Breathing means there are

no pauses or gaps between the breaths: the inhale is connected to the exhale and the exhale is connected to the inhale.

Notice that the Cleansing Breath or the sigh of relief is not a technique at all: it is a natural automatic response to a change in our physical, emotional or psychological state. It is an expression or a reflection of a change in our energy.

We already know how to do a sigh of relief. It becomes a breathwork “exercise” or “technique” when we do it deliberately—when we exaggerate it. An important part of this technique is to release the exhale all at once rather than slowly; and to relax and release our muscles and joints at the same time that we release the exhale. Imagine a bow and arrow. We draw the bow back on th e inhale, and we let the arrow fly on the exhale. The further back we draw the bow, the further the arrow will fly. The bigger or more expansive the inhale,

the greater the release and relief on the exhale. If you don’t let go of the arrow, or if you release it slowly, it doesn’t fly at all.

We call it a “Coming Home Breath” for a reason: it helps us to return to a natural state of ease and grace. When we move from a state

of pain to no pain, or from fear to no fear, the sigh of relief naturally happens by itself. And when we consciously give ourselves a sigh of relief, we naturally move our system toward a state of comfort and pleasure.

I know this sounds simple: but that’s because it is! The simplest things are always the most powerful. The Coming Home Breath has treme


ndous cumulative benefits on all levels of health and wellbeing when we practice it regularly. Connected Breathing, the other core skill means that inhale turns into the exhale and the exhale merges with the inhale. is connected to the exhale and the exhale is connected to the inhale. In other words the breathing is continuous or circular. An important part of this practice is to make the inhale active and the exhale passive.

When we are anxious, afraid or in pain, or when we are under emotional or psychological stress, it is very difficult or even impossible to access a natural sigh of relief or to breathe in a connected way. Pain and fear disturb the smooth continuous flow of breath, and prevent a full expansive inhale and a full release of the exhale.

When we can manage to take a full expansive inhale and give ourselves a big soothing sigh of relief, when we can get our breath flowing and turning smoothly like a wheel, we dissolve and release tension and pain, fear and anxiety.

One of the principles of breathwork is to bring these breathing exercises and techniques into our daily lives. We need to breathe fully and freely when we find ourselves holding our breath; and we need to get the breath moving smoothly, gently when it gets stuck, or when it becomes disturbed.

We can use these two core breathing techniques to prevent or release stress. We can engage in them to reduce or eliminate anxiety. We can use them to awaken creative and healing energies. We can use the to calm or set tle our emotions, to quiet or focus our mind, or to relax and energize our body.

We need to practice these two core breathing skills until we master them, until we can do them anytime, anywhere—no matter what is happening in us or around us. The mastery of these two simple skills leads to something called freedom!

Stay tuned for the third article in this series…

Wishing you luck in your practice and many blessings on your path!
Dan
P.S. There are a number of details and subtleties in the advanced use and application of these and other techniques that are best learned

over a series of sessions with a good coach or facilitator. You can find information about Breathwork Practitioner Training at:

[Link to One Year Seminar Landing Page]

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For more information about Breathwork, please go to www.breathmastery.com.

Download your free copy of my book, "Shut Up And Breathe!" http://www.breathmastery.com/shutupandbreathe

PS: If you are ready to get onto the Path of Breath Mastery right now, you can enroll in the 60-Day Online Course: "21 Lessons in the Art and Science of Breathwork." Visit: http://breathmastery.com/onlinecourse

Or, join my Breath Mastery Inner Circle, and freely access almost 40 years of breath and breathing research, articles, essays, audio/video files, seminar transcripts, workshop handouts, and even complete training manuals! 

Visit: http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

Creating More Wellness thru the Practice of Conscious Breathing.

Theoretical approaches to health and well-being are fine, but real results can only come thru a practical and pragmatic approach. And Conscious Breathing is just such an approach. Our overall health—physically, emotionally and psychologically—is directly linked to breathing. Our ability to prevent and control stress, and therefore to improve the quality of our lives is directly linked to breathing.

To calm a restless mind and to relax an agitated body, breathe in a deep, slow, soft way. By breathing in this way, you naturally quiet the mind and relax the body. When you breathe deeply, calmly, softly, and consciously, you also begin to control two key hormones involved in the stress response: adrenaline and cortisol.

Conscious Breathing is not complicated or difficult. Try it right now. Play with this simple breathing pattern: a 2 to 1 ratio. That means let the exhale be twice as long as the inhale.

If you breathe in for a count of 1, then breathe out for a count of 2.

If you breathe in for a count of 2, then breathe out for a count of 4.

If you breathe in for a count of 3, then breathe out for a count of 6.

Once you get into a gentle easy breathing rhythm, imagine viewing yourself from above or outside of your body. See yourself breathing fully and freely, and feeling rested, peaceful, clear, calm and energized. When we visualize internal harmony and balance, we enhance our intuitive spiritual abilities, and we also calm our logical analytical mind.

By turning to your breath in this way, you can shift from negative thoughts or uncomfortable feelings, and you can regain your comfort and composure in times of stress. Thru the practice of Conscious Breathing, we actually produce physical, anatomical, and structural changes in the in the brain and nervous system, resulting in permanent benefits.

By developing the ability to combine relaxation and breathing, by deliberately focusing on calmness and pleasure, we anchor a very resourceful state in our body-mind system. With regular practice, the breathing begins to automatically restore us to a state of peace and balance when we become agitated or stressed.

With just a little practice, you can renew and restore yourself at will. Some people require days or weeks to rejuvenate themselves. But with conscious breathing, you can renew and refresh yourself in just a few minutes. Think of it as learning “the art of minute vacations.”

If you desire optimum health, it’s not enough to just treat symptoms when they occur. You need to switch from being reactive to proactive. In addition to Breathwork, one way of being proactive is this:

Just before you fall off to sleep, take a few minutes to bring to mind at least three positive experiences you had: moments or events during the day that gave you a feeling of happiness. This will not only help you sleep like a baby, it will also set up a subconscious pattern, a habit, a tendency to feel good all the time!

Breathe out for a count of 4…
Breathe in for a count of 2…
Breathe out for a count of 4…
Breathe in for a count of 2…

As you are breathing, deliberately relax the muscles of your body and focus on images and feelings of pleasure…

Don’t underestimate the power of this simple practice. If you do it for a few minutes from time to time throughout the day, you will experience the undeniable benefits for yourself!

There are many different breathing exercises, meditations and techniques that you can use to create more wellness in body, mind, and spirit.

If you’d like to learn more, then I invite you to enroll in the Online Course in Breathwork: 21 Lessons in the Art and Science of Conscious Breathing.

Good luck in your practice!

Love and Blessings

Dan

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For more information about Breathwork, please go to www.breathmastery.com.

Download your free copy of my book, "Shut Up And Breathe!" http://www.breathmastery.com/shutupandbreathe

PS: If you are ready to get onto the Path of Breath Mastery right now, you can enroll in the 60-Day Online Course: "21 Lessons in the Art and Science of Breathwork." Visit: http://breathmastery.com/onlinecourse

Or, join my Breath Mastery Inner Circle, and freely access almost 40 years of breath and breathing research, articles, essays, audio/video files, seminar transcripts, workshop handouts, and even complete training manuals!

Visit: http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

The Amazing Benefits of Connected Breathing

Once upon a time, only the most advanced yogis or Taoist masters practiced and taught this breathing technique. Today tens of thousands of people ‘in the know’ have mastered it, and are utilizing it with great zeal and success—including world-class athletes, elite warriors, top martial artists, and peak performers in almost every field.

Connected Breathing was once an occult practice, cloaked in rituals and taught in mystery schools, passed on only to the most deserving students or worthy acolytes. But now the secret is out! Cab drivers, housewives, and corporate executives are learning it from cognitive therapists and behavioral scientists. Spiritual teachers and healing artists are using it and celebrating the benefits!

Connected Breathing is also called “circular breathing” “continuous breathing” and “energy breathing”

It was called “rebirthing” when I learned it in the mid 70’s. I wrote about my first rebirthing session in an earlier blog. Needless to say, it was mind blowing and life changing! I called it “Spiritual Breathing” and decided right then and there to devote my life to sharing it with the world.

Most people back then called it “new age nonsense.” The average person felt that it was “too good to be true.” This was understandable, because the benefits of the practice were often so incredible, so astonishing, and so immediate. Mainstream medical scientists simply wrote off the many reports and testimonials as hyperbole or wishful thinking.

Despite the cynics, skeptics, and naysayers, I have traveled to over 40 countries in the past 37 years, and I have initiated more than 80,000 people into this amazing practice. And I am only one among an army of enthusiastic proponents! In fact several million people have now been introduced to this transformational breathing technique.

Connected Breathing is used to increase energy and to eliminate stress, anxiety, and depression. It is used to bring deep relaxation and to heal post traumatic stress. It is used to prevent and recover from illness and injury.

It is used to release suppressed emotions, to awaken creative energies, and to build up the immune system. Cancer patients use it to alleviate pain, fatigue, and nausea. It is used in tantric practices and during child birth.

Connected breathing is both a doing and a non-doing at the same time. Wrap your Zen mind around that! I love it because it brings together the two fundamental aspects of Breathwork: “Breath Awareness” and “Conscious Breathing.”

This way of breathing establishes a smooth continuous flow of energy and awareness in the body. It is an easy and natural breathing pattern. It is a gentle yet dynamic form of meditation.The Buddha did it. Most animals do it. And if you observe house cats, you will see that they too are masters of it!

And so what exactly is Connected Breathing? 

Simply speaking, the breaths are literally connected. That means there are no pauses or gaps between the inhales and the exhales. The in-breaths merge with the out-breaths, and the out-breaths merge with the in-breaths. Breathing is continuous; it turns like a wheel, smoothly, in an uninterrupted way.

Try it now:

Simply relax your body and give the breathing your undivided attention. Get the breath moving in and out gently, and keep it smoothly turning like a wheel.

Connect your inhale to your exhale, and your exhale to your inhale, without any pauses or gaps between the breaths. No hesitating or holding the breath for a moment between the inhale and the exhale. And no waiting or resting between the exhale and the inhale.

The inhale is slightly active; the exhale is totally relaxed. Pull the breath in slowly and consciously; and let the exhale go quickly and completely. Ride the curve of the breath as it turns from inhale to exhale and from exhale to inhale.

Practice this way of breathing every day according to this formula: 10+10+(10×2).

That means doing it for ten minutes in the morning, ten minutes in the evening, and ten times during the day for two minutes each time.

If you practice it in this way, I guarantee that you will be amazed by the results! If you think that I am exaggerating, then try it for 21 days and experience the extraordinary benefits for yourself. And please be sure to write to me about your personal experience.

Various thoughts, feelings, sensations, and emotions will no doubt arise in the process. If you don’t allow these things to distract you, if you don’t make them important, if you don’t react to them, and instead stay focused on relaxing and doing the connected breathing, you will observe that all those things naturally pass or fall away on their own.

With practice, you’ll learn to make subtle intuitive adjustments to the breathing rhythm. And in so doing, you will develop the ability to overcome or transcend any negative or limiting physiological, emotional or psychological state. When you master it, you will realize that if nothing can disturb your breathing, then nothing can disturb you!

I believe that Connected Breathing is one of the oldest and purest forms of Kriya Yoga.
 
It has been rediscovered and restored in our time. You can be renewed and refreshed by it right now—not through strict effort or a long egoic struggle—but through a natural attraction and open attention to that which is always already present and continuously alive in you:

Try it. You’ll like it!

Good luck in your practice.

Dan

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For more information about Breathwork, please go to www.breathmastery.com.

Download your free copy of my book, "Shut Up And Breathe!" http://www.breathmastery.com/shutupandbreathe

PS: If you are ready to get onto the Path of Breath Mastery right now, you can enroll in the 60-Day Online Course: "21 Lessons in the Art and Science of Breathwork." Visit: http://breathmastery.com/onlinecourse

Or, join my Breath Mastery Inner Circle, and freely access almost 40 years of breath and breathing research, articles, essays, audio/video files, seminar transcripts, workshop handouts, and even complete training manuals! 

Visit: http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

Doctor Prescribes A Breathing Prescription For Common Ailments and Serious Medical Conditions!

Recently I had the pleasure of spending a day with Richard Brown, MD. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University, and practices a body-mind-breath approach to health and healing. How can you not love him!

Dr. Brown and his wife Dr. Patricia Gerbarg (also a psychiatrist) have co-authored a book called “The Healing Power of the Breath.” They have been taking breathwork to veterans and military families, to disaster victims, doing wonderful in the areas of PTSD and TBI.

I found Richard to be a very bright, clear, and conservative teacher. His introduction to conscious breathing and breathwork was easy, basic, gentle, and not scary at all!

I love that in addition to preaching the benefits of conscious breathing, yoga, chi kung, martial arts, and meditation, he also practices these things in his own life for his own personal well-being.

He teaches a very simple, safe, breathing method that triggers the body’s natural healing mechanisms and re-sets the nervous system. He combines breathing with movement, breathing with sound, breathing with visualization/imagery.

He teaches people to use breathwork to deal with stress, to manage emotions,to lower blood pressure, to “treat” fear, pain, anxiety, depression, and much more.

His uses as a core breathing exercise called the “Coherent Breath,” which is basically a slow gentle breathing rhythm at a steady rate of about 5 breaths per minute.

He teaches the 4-4-6-2 exercise: inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 6, hold 2. He also teaches the “Ujjayi Breath,” and the “Ha Breath” together with simple tai chi movements.

He incorporates the “Open Focus” method and a simple Chi Kung series called the “4 Golden Wheels.”
He teaches a simple integrated practice, involving:

1. Movement
2. Breathing
3. Meditation

The movement is to awaken and raise energy, breathing to circulate and distribute energy, and meditation to gather and store energy.

He uses an analogy/metaphor of washing clothes. Movement is the prewash, breathing is wash and rinse, meditation: dry and fold. I love it!

I love that he uses a body, mind, spirit—holistic—approach. And he sites many medical/scientific studies that support the healing effects of breathwork.

He talks a lot about energy—Prana, Chi, Ki—about awakening it, circulating it, and storing it. And he encourages people to “move” energy through their hands, and to move it up and down in the body between the base of the spine and the top of the head.

I love that he advocates 20 minutes of breathing practice every day, and that he continuously reiterates the importance of a daily practice.

He encourages people to accept and allow, and to relax into whatever feelings, sensations, thoughts, images, or emotions that come up. That is so important in Breathwork! And he wisely considers these symptoms to be natural signs of healing and stress release.

I am so happy to see more and more mainstream medical doctors moving toward integrative medicine, using alternative remedies, and prescribing things like breathwork.

The world has come a long way since the early 1970’s, when most medical doctors denounced and disparaged those of us who chose breathwork and other holistic modalities over the mainstream drug and surgery approach!

I celebrate you Dr. Brown! And I thank you for the work that you do!

Dr. Brown’s website is www.haveahealthymind.com

He endorses www.robertpeng.com, www.openfocus.com, www.STWS.org

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For more information about Breathwork, please go to www.breathmastery.com.

Download your free copy of my book, "Shut Up And Breathe!" http://www.breathmastery.com/shutupandbreathe

PS: If you are ready to get onto the Path of Breath Mastery right now, you can enroll in the 60-Day Online Course: "21 Lessons in the Art and Science of Breathwork." Visit: http://breathmastery.com/onlinecourse

Or, join my Breath Mastery Inner Circle, and freely access almost 40 years of breath and breathing research, articles, essays, audio/video files, seminar transcripts, workshop handouts, and even complete training manuals! 

Visit:http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

21 Breathwork Tips and Techniques for Preventing Burnout

I'd like to share with you some of the points that we cover in the Stress and Breathing, Burnout and Breathwork Seminars. This is a body-mind-breath approach to preventing burnout and for recovering from it. In the Chinese tradition we would say that we "regulate body, regulate mind, and regulate breath." 
 

At the seminars, we go more deeply and into more detail with each of these points; and we explore the practical exercises and techniques related to them. If you apply any one of them, be assured you will experience a benefit. Master a good number of them as many seminar participants have, and like them, you will find that burnout is a thing of the past!

 

21 Breathwork Tips and Techniques for Preventing Burnout:

1. Question the idea of scarcity and drop your sense of limitation. One of the laws of nature and existence is "abundance." You are part of that nature and existence.
2. Awaken to the source of your energy and learn to breathe in a way that strengthens your connection to it. Be conscious of that connection in all that you do, especially when working with others.
3. Know that in reality the more you give, the more you receive. (This is not just a pretty philosophy: it's how energy works.)
4. Re-awaken in yourself the unmanageable spontaneous energy that you had as a child. Only adults (adulterated children) suffer from burnout!
5. Learn to use your breathing to generate energy at will. Be an ever-flowing source of aliveness. Fill yourself up and overflow with energy. (Don't just draw in energy from around you; draw energy up from within you.)
6. Master the art of taking "minute vacations." (With practice, you can get more out of a few minutes of spiritual breathing than many people get from a weekend in the Bahamas!)
7. Learn to use your breath to draw energy into your body and release tension at the same time. Learn to breathe in a way that both charges and relaxes you, that both strengthens and soothes you.
8. Be more playful in life and relationships find a way to bring some playfulness to your work. (If you must be "serious" on the job, then at least balance it with a huge dose of playfulness and fun after work!)
9. Establish breathing habits and patterns that automatically recharge and restore you. (Nothing works better than this at making you immune to burnout)
10. Learn the "full yogic breath" and how to infuse every cell in your body with breath energy. (This is an art that will serve you to no end!)
11. Master "De-Reflexive Breathing." Learn to mentally inhale while physically exhaling, and mentally exhale while physically inhaling. (Read that again. It is the essence of this ancient breathwork exercise, meditation, technique… also called Krishna's kriya yoga)
12. Right livelihood: make sure that what you do is aligned with your purpose. (Burnout can be a wake up call to make changes in your life.)
13. Drop energy suckers like judgment, resistance, and attachment. (these are big proven contributors to stress and burnout, and yet people insist on holding on to them!)
14. Realize that everything is love, and that we live in an infinite ocean of love. (Begin to acknowledge and appreciate expressions of love: smiles, small gifts, friendly advice, even criticism… all expressions of love!)
15. Free up blocked and stuck emotional energy by practicing forgiveness and gratitude. (Nothing will burn you out more than generating and holding on to negative emotions! Do the opposite and liberate yourself!)
16. Don't resist your down cycles: they are a natural and necessary part of life and growth. (Don't waste precious life energy fighting your rhythms and cycles!)
17. Identify and eliminate habitual muscular contractions—chronic physical tension. (On the most direct and practical level this eats up life force that you could be using in much better ways!)
18. Learn to release your breath—master the skill of letting go of your exhale. (When you master this, you can let go of many other things, like pain, tension, anxiety, fear, disturbing thoughts, and the past!)
19. Do your inner work: free yourself of guilt, shame, anger, resentment, etc. (Breathe these things out of your body and mind, out of your life… forever!)
20. Learn the cleansing breath—the "coming home breath." (This is built on a natural reflex: the sigh of relief. This single skill can set you free in a moment. Master it!)
21. Practice faith and trust. Remember that you are always already safe and free! (Don't let that toxic fearful doubting voice in your head lead you to believe anything else!)

I hope you take some of the tips to heart! And I hope you put some of them to work in your life!

 

I love getting comments and questions from my readers, so feel free to send me yours at: dan@breathmastery.com

 

Good luck in your practice.
Love and blessings to all,
Dan

PS: The audio recording together with a full transcript of the "Burnout Prevention Seminar" held in Johannesburg is available. Contact me for information.

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For more information about Breathwork, please go to www.breathmastery.com.

Download your free copy of my book, "Shut Up And Breathe!" http://www.breathmastery.com/shutupandbreathe

PS: If you are ready to get onto the Path of Breath Mastery right now, you can enroll in the 60-Day Online Course: "21 Lessons in the Art and Science of Breathwork." Visit: http://breathmastery.com/onlinecourse

Or, join my Breath Mastery Inner Circle, and freely access almost 40 years of breath and breathing research, articles, essays, audio/video files, seminar transcripts, workshop handouts, and even complete training manuals! 

Visit:http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

Breathwork and Mindfulness

What does every world-class athlete do just before they dive, jump, shoot, or swing?
They breathe! They take a conscious breath—or they take a few of them.

Martial artists, healing artists, performing artists, and peak-performers of every kind use conscious breathing to channel and focus their attention and energy.

Tuning into your breathing creates immediate physical and mental focus. A few conscious breaths can strengthen your will, fuel your determination, and renew your commitment to achieving a goal. 

Breathwork is the art and science of using breath awareness and conscious breathing for health, growth and change—in body, mind, and spirit.

Mindfulness can be understood as a calm attentive awareness of one’s mind, body, and emotions; and it can include everything in one’s moment-to-moment reality. 

The subtle movements and sensations connected to the flow of breath provide the perfect means and method of developing mindfulness; and mindfulness is the key to personal development and spiritual enlightenment. 

Conscious Breathing helps you to feel grounded. A few conscious breaths can bring you clarity. A few conscious breaths can restore your emotional balance and help you to recover from an upset or a distraction. 

Conscious Breathing is a natural centering technique. It re-energizes and relaxes you. In fact, conscious breathing is the quickest and most effective way to clear your head, settle your stomach, and calm your nerves. 

The more conscious we are of our breathing, the more conscious we become of everything. The more aware we are of the subtle details of our breathing, the more aware we become of many other things in ourselves and others, in life and the world.

Breathing is literally a source of inspiration. And breathwork is a perfect way to open our hearts to love. The simple act of conscious breathing, in fact, can form the basis of a profound spiritual practice. 

Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist saints throughout history incorporated breathwork into their prayers, rituals, and ceremonies. 

The Spirit of Breath has always been at the heart of personal and planetary awakening. And today we find that Breathworkers are at that the cutting edge of the human potential and world peace movements.

The simple act of observing your breath—of turning to it and focusing on it—has so many proven benefits on so many levels that frankly, I think you’d have to be crazy not to practice it!

Breathwork is my passion (pass-I-on). It is also my profession (profess-I-on).

I am committed to helping anyone with a belly button to discover, explore and develop the power and potential of Breathwork. I encourage you to deepen your experience of Conscious Breathing, and to enjoy the benefits for yourself! 

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For more information about Breathwork, please go to www.breathmastery.com.

Download your free copy of my book, "Shut Up And Breathe!" http://www.breathmastery.com/shutupandbreathe

PS: If you are ready to get onto the Path of Breath Mastery right now, you can enroll in the 60-Day Online Course: "21 Lessons in the Art and Science of Breathwork." Visit: http://breathmastery.com/onlinecourse

Or, join my Breath Mastery Inner Circle, and freely access almost 40 years of breath and breathing research, articles, essays, audio/video files, seminar transcripts, workshop handouts, and even complete training manuals! 

Visit: http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

The Two Basics Aspects of Breathwork

This month I start a series of articles on Breathwork, beginning with the two basic aspects of the practice: Breath Awareness and Conscious Breathing. You can think of these as yin and yang aspects, active and passive practices.

Breath Awareness means simply observing the breath, watching the breath, noticing the breathing… witnessing it. This is the passive aspect. You don’t breathe in any particular way: the breaths come and go by themselves.

The Awareness we are talking about is meditative awareness. It is not thinking, not judging, not comparing, not analyzing: it is a soft open state of alertness or presence. Breath Awareness is a “mindfulness” practice, with extraordinary benefits.

As you observe your breathing moment to moment, you are looking for details: sense the breath, listen to it. How do you know you are breathing? What are the feelings and sensations that occur? Where do you notice those feelings and sensations? What muscles do you use? Where does the breath go in you? What does it touch? What moves when you breathe?

As you become more aware of the breath, you naturally become more aware of other things in your mind and body: thoughts, feelings and sensations, and emotions. You become aware of your self-talk, your physical tensions, energetic contractions, habits, patterns, urges, reactions. Witness these things. Don’t make them important.

When your mind wanders, when miscellaneous thoughts or things around you distract you, simply return your attention to the breath. This practice of awareness comes without attachment, resistance or judgment. It is pure conscious awareness.

Nothing is happening to you: it is just happening. You are the witness.

The second aspect is Conscious Breathing. This is where you come in. You give the breathing a certain quality or pattern. You breathe with a certain intention. You control and direct the breath in some way. With Breath Awareness the breath is breathing you. With conscious Breathing you are breathing the breath.
There are countless conscious breathing exercises and techniques. For example there is a practice called “Square Breathing” or “Box Breathing” used by warriors, martial artists, Navy Seals and Special Forces personnel.

To do Square Breathing: inhale for a count of 4; hold for a count of 4; exhale for a count of 4; hold for a count of 4.

Another example of Conscious breathing technique or exercise is called “Mother’s Breath”: inhale for a count of 7; hold for a count of 1; exhale for a count of 7; hold for a count of 1.

Conscious Breathing or “breath control” could mean practicing alternate nostril breathing, inhaling thru the nose and exhaling thru the mouth, doing pursed lip breathing, or employing breath sounds. It could mean combining breath and movement, or visualization or affirmations.

We move forward in our breathwork practice by going back and forth between these two aspects: active and passive: doing the breathing and letting the breath breathe itself.

An important part of Breathwork practice is integrating these two aspects into our daily lives. Become aware of your breathing at different times; tune into your breathing in different situations. Notice how you breathe during various interactions and activities.

Breathe consciously from time to time when you are walking: perhaps in rhythm to your footsteps, or when listening to music. Breathe consciously when you are taking in a sunset, when you are listening to someone. Learn to use conscious breathing to relax yourself, to energize yourself; to prepare for things and to recover from them.

We go thru life in a similar way: sometimes with paddle our boat, and other times we let the river take us. We sometimes take charge and we sometimes get out of the way. Sometimes we control, and sometimes we surrender. We live our life, and we let life live us.

When we practice an active conscious breathing technique, it’s a good idea to practice Meditative Awareness before and after the active exercise or technique. Track the changes in your mind and body, in your energy. Keep a journal. Share your notes and experience with other Breathworkers.

In the Inner Circle Members Area, there are a number of recordings and transcripts of Guided Breath Awareness and Conscious Breathing sessions. I invite you to become a Breath Mastery Inner Circle member.

Right now, you can become a Lifetime Member for less than the cost of a single year membership! This offer will not last long, so I suggest you take advantage of the opportunity while you can!

All the information is here: http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership/

Next month, we will explore the two core techniques or exercises used in Transformational Breathwork or Spiritual Breathing Practice. Until then, good luck in your practice and many blessings on your path!

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For more information about Breathwork, please go to www.breathmastery.com.

Download your free copy of my book, "Shut Up And Breathe!" http://www.breathmastery.com/shutupandbreathe

PS: If you are ready to get onto the Path of Breath Mastery right now, you can enroll in the 60-Day Online Course: "21 Lessons in the Art and Science of Breathwork." Visit: http://breathmastery.com/onlinecourse

Or, join my Breath Mastery Inner Circle, and freely access almost 40 years of breath and breathing research, articles, essays, audio/video files, seminar transcripts, workshop handouts, and even complete training manuals! 

Visit:http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

In Praise Of The Diaphragm And Why It’s Called A Spiritual Muscle

At the Breathing Seminars in Russia this month, we have been focusing on relaxing and releasing the biggest muscle in your body: the diaphragm.

Fairuz Bikayev, a Bashkir businessman who deals in precious and semiprecious stones and gems, is also a seasoned martial arts practitioner. On the 3rd day of a recent 5-Day Breathwork Intensive, he shared this:

“I finally got what it means to completely release and relax my diaphragm. And something remarkable has happened: the chronic back pain I have been dealing with for more than ten years just disappeared. It melted away. I amamazed!” 

He said: “In my spiritual practice, I have been struggling lately with what felt like a deep split or a conflict in myself. During the breathing session today, I had a powerful insight and I was able to mend that split and end the conflict.”

He also said: “As I was meditating on my diaphragm, feeling into it, I relaxed beyond a point I was never able to go, and I was suddenly filled with a peace I have never known. This peace is now affecting everything I do, and I know in my heart that it will never go away.”

No wonder the diaphragm has been called a spiritual muscle!

“Diaphragm” comes from the Greek word meaning ‘partition’. “Dia” means ‘through, apart’, and “phragma” means ‘a fence’. And here’s an interesting point: the Greek word “phren” refers both to the diaphragm and to the mind or brain.

The diaphragm is a very unique muscle. It separates—or one might better say—it connects the chest and the belly. It forms the floor of the thorax and the roof of the abdomen.

When the diaphragm contracts we automatically breathe in, and when it relaxes we automatically breathe out. A healthy relaxed diaphragm takes a dome shape, like an open parachute or umbrella; and as it contracts, it flattens downward.

The movement of the diaphragm naturally massages all the abdominal organs that lay beneath it, and it also massages the heart that sits on top of it. That’s why the greater the excursion rate (up and down movement) of our diaphragm, the healthier we are.

The diaphragm is hard-wired to the respiratory center in the medulla and pons in the brain stem—which is the most ancient and primal part of our brain. It is also wired to the limbic system—the source of our emotions; and it is wired to the motor and pre-motor cortex—areas responsible for conscious control of our movements.

In a way, the diaphragm is where emotions meet rational thinking, where body meets mind. It’s where conscious and unconscious processes meet. Not only is the diaphragm connected to the left and right hemispheres of the brain: it is also where the oldest part of our nervous system interacts with the newest part in a creative and practical way.

No wonder the diaphragm has been called a spiritual muscle!

Like all skeletal muscles, the diaphragm is attached to bones, although it does not directly move any joints. But unlike other skeletal muscles, it never stops working. And in addition to being the primary breathing muscle, it also helps us maintain posture and balance.

The diaphragm is structurally attached to the body in a number of ways. It is tied to the 12th thoracic vertebrae, to the upper lumbar vertebrae, and also to the six lower ribs.

One way of looking at what might be called optimal structural alignment in terms of the diaphragm and rib cage, is the analogy of a “ball and socket” joint. When relaxed after an exhale, the diaphragm should fit nicely up into the rib cage, like a ball fitting perfectly into a socket.

When the diaphragm contracts, the muscles between the ribs (intercostal muscles) also contract, lifting and separating the ribs. This decreases pressure and increases the space inside the chest cavity, which causes air to rush in.

When the diaphragm relaxes, it returns to its dome shape, the intercostal muscles relax, and the chest cavity shrinks. This increases pressure, which causes air to rush back out again.

And so breathing is actually a divine play of air and energy, of internal and external spaces and pressures.

To bring ourselves into conscious harmony with this divine play of space and energy, we often practice this Spiritual Breathing Exercise: We meditate on “opening and expanding” ourselves. We create a sense of spaciousness in the body, allowing the breath to ‘pour’ into us, rather than the familiar experience of ‘pulling’ the breath in.

Here’s an interesting tidbit: Do you know the “side stich” that runners often get—that sharp pain just under the ribs? This happens when the diaphragm doesn’t sit high enough in the rib cage. As a result, it rubs up and down against the lower ribs as we breathe. This common problem can be permanently eliminated with just a few hours of focused breathwork training.

Our relationship to the diaphragm is more than just physical. The diaphragm contracts in response to threats—real or imagined. It responds to pain—actual or anticipated. It expresses and reflects our stress responses. Contraction of the diaphragm is part of the body’s emergency response system: fight, flight, or freeze.

When a feeling comes, the diaphragm responds. When we relax into the feeling—when we surrender to it—the diaphragm releases, and we experience a felt sense of deep peace.

When the diaphragm swings freely, the ego relaxes and expands. When it does, our sense of separation dissolves a bit and we feel a natural loving connection with everyone and everything around us. We feel a unique sense of peace and “oneness,” of coming home to ourselves, and to God or universal love.

On the other hand, stressful, anxious, angry or fearful states and reactions create tension in the diaphragm that we may not feel; and that tension remains in place during the exhale. Just when the diaphragm is supposed to physiologically relax and rest, giving us a sense of peace and ease, we get a stress signal instead.

This sets up an internal feedback loop: Tension in the diaphragm acts as an emergency signal, causing a vague sense of systemic anxiety and stress. That anxiety and stress creates tension in the diaphragm. That tension feeds the anxiety, and on and on it goes, until…

Focused awareness and breath release techniques interrupt and break that vicious cycle, producing a unique sense of peaceful energy that can be very surprising—even to people who feel that they are already relaxed and calm.

Remember, no matter how relaxed you are you can always relax more. And when you do, a certain peace that passes understanding will come to you! We are renewed and recharged in those precious moments of total relaxation.

There is so much more to breathing and to the diaphragm and its workings than we realize. I hope you will begin to meditate on this spiritual muscle, and that you will practice more breath awareness and more conscious breathing.

I especially hope that you will learn to release and relax your diaphragm, as my friend Fairuz the gem dealing martial artist from Ufa has done!

I invite you to attend a breathwork seminar, workshop, or training, or to schedule a private individual session. Check my schedule and meet me on the path! Or come to Mexico between November and March for one of our 21-Day Breathwork, Healing Arts, and Life Skills programs.

Visit: www.bajabiosana.org to learn more about our Los Cabos paradise and the community there.

I also invite you to enroll in my Online Course: 21 Lessons in the Art and Science of Breathwork.

All the information is here: http://breathmastery.com/onlinecourse

This month, you can take advantage of my subscriber’s discount and save $300. Enroll right now for only $150! (Regular tuition is $450)

Here is a Breathing Technique that will bring you a myriad of benefits: 

1. Blow all your air out, exhale completely.

2. Hold your breath.

3. Move your diaphragm up and down ten or twenty times.

4. Relax and let the breath come and go by itself.

5. Meditate on the feelings and sensations of energy on your body.

Here is another exercise that you can practice right now:

Simply slow your breathing down. Let your exhale be more full and complete. Don’t rush into the next inhale before giving your diaphragm a chance to rest and re-set itself before continuing on its never ending life giving service to your health and wellbeing!

You can also get a lot of information from my new book:

Shut Up And Breathe! Exploring the Art And Science of Breathwork.
You can download it here FREE: www.breathmastery.com/ShutUpAndBreathe

Good luck in your practice, and many blessings on your way!

Dan

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For more information about Breathwork, please go to www.breathmastery.com.

Download your free copy of my book, "Shut Up And Breathe!" http://breathmastery.com/onlinecourse
Or, join my Breath Mastery Inner Circle, and freely access almost 40 years of breath and breathing research, articles, essays, audio/video files, seminar transcripts, workshop handouts, and even complete training manuals! 

Visit: http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

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Transcendental Rebirthing & the Power of Breathwork

This month, I offer you this beautiful article by one of my all time favorite Breathworkers, Ivonne Alexander. It is an honor and a pleasure—a blessing—to call her my student, teacher, and friend.

YOU ARE BEING BREATHED BY GOD!
Transcendental Rebirthing & the Power of Breathwork

And when I breathed, my breath was lightning. ~Black Elk

In the beginning there was the word, yet before this word there was the first breath that carried the Prana for creation.Prana is the breath of life, the vitality of spirit. Without it, there is no experience of what we call reality, others or self. Breath in its essence includes this energy, which in Transcendental Rebirthing is seen as the elixir that keeps us all connected to the divine in all, through the divine within.

Through the awareness of the breath, and the interconnectedness that occurs with others, we consistently create a surrounding field where all energy is transferred, shared and exchanged. Thoughts, emotions, actions and intents, are transported through the field of breath in to others psyches and life field forces.

I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart: I am, I am, I am. ~Sylvia Plath

It doesn’t surprise me that for eons now all ancient & current spiritual teachers, all ancient schools of self mastery have focused on breath work, on the very one thing: that upon inhaling there is life, and upon exhaling there is release.

We too should make ourselves empty, that the great soul of the universe may fill us with its breath. ~Laurence Binyon

Prana (प्राण, prāṇa) is the Sanskrit word for “vital life”. It is one of the five organs of vitality or sensation. The practice of Pranayama is a MUST for any practitioner of yoga, meditation, or spiritual practice. Through it the control of prana is achieved (initially) from the control of one’s breathing.

According to Yogic philosophy the breath, or air, is merely a gateway to the world of prana and its manifestation in the body. In yoga, pranayama techniques are used to control the movement of these vital energies within the body, which is said to lead to an increase in vitality in the practitioner.

All the principles of heaven and earth are living inside you. Life itself is truth, and this will never change. Everything in heaven and earth breathes. Breath is the thread that ties creation together. ~Morihei Ueshiba

In Vedanta philosophy, prana is the notion of a vital, life-sustaining force of living beings and vital energy comparable to the Chinese notion of Qi that flows through a network of fine subtle channels called nadis or meridians.

A man must be strong in that profession; he must have vigor of body and mind. Yet I am all out of breath if I walk up a hill; I have not the heart to crush even a fly. ~Gregorio M. Sierra

In Transcendental Rebirthing we use and invoke the breath OF THE DIVINE MOTHER ENERGY, the pranic energy that supports rebirth and intention into actualized brilliancy and cycle-completion manifestations. It also supports the breath as the sacred language that keeps us connected to a higher purpose for the benefit of the whole.

Smile, breathe and go slowly. ~Thich Nhat Hanh

We believe that if one is aware of the breath, this creates a mirror neuron effect in others, who effortlessly, and without being directed to DO THE BREATH WORK, naturally begin to experience this conscious awareness. Forcing others to breathe creates its opposite effect.

A healthy mind has an easy breath. ~Author Unknown

Breathing is an unconscious competent act for most of humanity. The breath of spirit and of love is something that requires reawakening, rebirth and restoration into human consciousness.

With our very breath we connect to the whole. Which each, inhale we create new possibilities for the oneness of it all. And every exhale sends a message to the whole of humanity in an instant.

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure. ~Oprah Winfrey

It is not possible not to be connected with others through the breath. Breath knows no concept of time, space or separation, thus our breath is connected to the lineage of our ancestors and our future generations in this very moment.

The non linearity of breath makes time disappear, and our connection to the Source of it all—that in TR we experience as the presence of God—undeniable.

Learn how to exhale, and the inhale will take care of itself. ~Carla Melucci Ardito

Within the sacred womb of life embraced by the Divine mother energy, our breath is a tool that transcends the doing, and embraces the being.

Breathing with awareness ceases struggles, righteousness and unnecessary competition with each other. Breath, right now in humanity, is the most powerful sacred language & prayer of unification we all have.

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again. ~L. Frank Baum

Imagine if for one minute, and only one, the whole of humanity agreed upon a day, a time where for 60 seconds we will speak nothing but the sacred language of breath. That we all, wars, television networks, schools, government organizations pause for one single minute just to breathe… imagine:

What could possibly happen then?
Will we all feel the oneness then?
Wouldn’t we all drop our separation and pettiness, and embrace the human essence of soul connection?
Would we finally manifest Peace on Earth?

Yet since this sixty-second experiment is not happening, or at least, not yet… we can begin right now with ourselves. In the sacred realm of Transcendental Rebirthing we can remember that every single being is sacred.

Starting with ourselves we have the capacity to become the butterfly effect… That with our breath can heal and transform, we can transmute, relax, and share the gift of living—the breath of life.

Breathwork then, with this awareness is no work at all, but a sacred offering to the divine within each of us, and to the divine in all. Thus it will be appropriate then to rename it as Breath-joy.

Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God. ~Krishnamacharya

We pray and wish for you all to Breathe with awareness; we pray for us all to
breathe with ease, to recognize the collective effect this has far beyond words and thoughts.
Prana is transferred through breath, and through it we hold hands with our human family just by the simple sound of the inhale and the exhale… with the sound of AH.

All things share the same breath – the beast, the tree, the man… the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. ~Chief Seattle

We invite you with awareness to inhale peace, exhale possibilities; inhale awareness, exhale transmutation; inhale presence, exhale the present; inhale love, exhale joy.

There is one way of breathing that is shameful and constricted. Then, there’s another way: a breath of love that takes you all the way to infinity. ~Rumi

May you inhale and exhale the love that you are, have been, and will always be! And may we all be aware that in this very moment we are being breathed and created by God.

Breathfuly yours,
Ivonne Delaflor
Founder & Creator of the Transcendental Rebirthing System

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For more information about Breathwork, please go to www.breathmastery.com.

Download your free copy of my book, "Shut Up And Breathe!" http://www.breathmastery.com/shutupandbreathe

PS: If you are ready to get onto the Path of Breath Mastery right now, you can enroll in the 60-Day Online Course: "21 Lessons in the Art and Science of Breathwork." Visit: http://breathmastery.com/onlinecourse

Or, join my Breath Mastery Inner Circle, and freely access almost 40 years of breath and breathing research, articles, essays, audio/video files, seminar transcripts, workshop handouts, and even complete training manuals! Visit:
http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

Pain, Tension, Relaxation, And Breathwork

Relaxation is a basic life skill. It is the key to ending much of our suffering. In Breathwork—as well as in life—the ability and the willingness to let go is vital

Success in Breathwork, as well as happiness in life, depends on our ability to let go and relax—especially in those moments when it is the last thing that we would think to do!

And this “letting go” applies to hard feelings and separating emotions, negative thoughts and rigid opinions, the “need to be right,” as well as physical tension and muscular contractions.

The best Breathworkers in the world have mastered the art of letting go. We practice letting go of the exhale, and this triggers or supports relaxation on all the other levels of our being.

“If you cannot let go of your exhale, don’t be
surprised if you cannot let go of physical
pain. If you cannot let got of your exhale, don’t
be surprised if you cannot let go of fear or
anxiety. If you cannot let go of your
exhale, don’t be surprised if you cannot let go
of painful thoughts. If you cannot let go of your
breath, don’t be surprised if you cannot let go
of habits and patterns from the past.”

When you master the art of letting go of the breath quickly and completely, you find that you are also able to let go of pain and tension, fear and anxiety, disturbing thoughts, and negative feelings—even the past—quickly and easily.

Pain is a sign of conscious or unconscious tension. Practically speaking, pain is tension: it is a contraction. And most people don’t feel this tension, or notice their energetic contractions, until it becomes pain.

When you carry tension all the time, you simply stop feeling it. Because it’s there all the time, you stop noticing it. And as tension accumulates, it becomes pain. Chronic unconscious tension causes or worsens every kind of illness, injury and disease.

Light loving thoughts are not automatically generated in a tight tense body. (It takes practice to do that!) Dark heavy thoughts are automatically generated in a tight tense body. (That is, until we train our system to do something else!)

In Breathwork, we can heal physical tension and pain by working on our thoughts and emotions. And we can dissolve painful thoughts and emotions by working on our physical tension!

Physical tension produces unconscious fear and it triggers ancient survival mechanisms. It is very hard to give and receive love when you are experiencing fear, tension and pain.

It’s also very hard to breathe fully and freely in those moments. That’s why the ability to breathe fully and freely is so important. It gives us a way to dissolve or burn away physical tension as well as psychological and emotional pain.

It’s normal to contract your energy and withdraw your awareness from things that are frightening or painful. But healing and growth often means looking at things that are scary and doing things that are uncomfortable.

Breathwork allows us an opportunity to observe our urge to resist, deny, or contract away from “what is.” It gives us a way to expand and relax and allow instead.

In breathwork, we learn to relax into intensity; we learn to relax in the presence of intensity. We use the breath to activate and eliminate intensely negative thoughts, feelings and sensations, and emotions.

It’s important to realize that when you are very relaxed, the body naturally has little to no need to breathe. The chemical triggers or breathing receptors do not fire off because there is no muscular activity, no metabolic demand for breath-energy.

The relaxed body, left to itself, will breathe very little, if at all. There is simply no biological need, no physiological demand. And so in breathwork, we often override these normal physiological controls: we consciously, deliberately choose to breathe.

When you are involved in strenuous physical activity, your body automatically breathes more. You don’t have to think about it. You don’t have to make it happen: your system takes care of itself.

But when you are relaxed and at rest, and doing breathwork—and if your purpose is clearing, healing, or growth—then you must focus on breathing; you must make it happen.

Imagine if you were to spend a few minutes breathing fast full breaths, as if you were running up a hill, and yet you were to remain completely still and perfectly relaxed.

What do you think would happen with all the energy being generated? The body doesn’t need it; the muscles aren’t using it. It has to go somewhere. It has to do something.

Simply put, it triggers physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual healing. And in the process, it naturally produces unusually beautiful and powerful feelings and sensations, thoughts and images.

There are many forms of Breathwork, and many ways to apply it. Breathwork is a method of spiritual purification, of soul healing. It is a way to increase our energy and enhance our aliveness, to reduce or eliminate stress and anxiety.

Thru breathwork, we can improve brain and nervous system activity; we can lower (or raise) blood pressure; we can regulate cortisone and oxytocin, and various hormone levels. We can strengthen and support our immune system.

The benefits of Breathwork in cases of PTSD, ADHD, depression, chronic fatigue, physical pain, and psychological distress are unarguable.

Breathwork can immunize us against caregiver stress and burnout. It can enhance our creative abilities. It can help us to access our intuition and our natural wisdom. It can deepen our connection to each other, and produce harmony in relationships.

Breathwork opens us to higher states of consciousness. It allows us to access the deepest parts of our psyche and ourselves. And it supports us in developing and expressing our greatest gifts.

If you do Breathwork, then you already know all this! If you don’t do Breathwork, then it’s time you start! Come to one of seminars, workshops, or trainings scheduled around the world.

In the meantime, check out this outrageous offer to learn everything there is to know about breathwork!

Go to:http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

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For more information about Breathwork, please go to www.breathmastery.com.

Download your free copy of my book, "Shut Up And Breathe!" http://www.breathmastery.com/shutupandbreathe

PS: If you are ready to get onto the Path of Breath Mastery right now, you can enroll in the 60-Day Online Course: "21 Lessons in the Art and Science of Breathwork." Visit: http://breathmastery.com/onlinecourse

Or, join my Breath Mastery Inner Circle, and freely access almost 40 years of breath and breathing research, articles, essays, audio/video files, seminar transcripts, workshop handouts, and even complete training manuals! Visit:
http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

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(*) NOTE:None of this is meant as a substitute for medical advice. If you have a medical condition or any health concerns, consult your physician or a qualified medical professional before starting any exercise program.

Why Breathe? Why Learn Breathwork?

Many people who have never done breathwork wonder what all the fuss is about. They ask what is the point of it; they want to know what the value or the benefits of it are.

For those of us who are immersed in the practice—our direct experience makes it all obvious and self-evident. But still, it is important to remind ourselves and to inform others of the astonishing power and potential of Breathwork: so that’s what I’ll do here this month.

We use breathwork for self-improvement and personal growth; we use it to increase our physical, emotional and cognitive wellbeing; we us it to enhance our creative abilities and to boost our self-healing capacities. We apply it for achieving peak performance, for attaining optimum health, and for realizing our ultimate potential.

Breathwork gives us more energy on a day-to-day basis, and it helps us to sleep better. Breathworkers are not as tense, stressed, anxious or afraid—as often or as much—as others. Breathwork helps us to maintain a peaceful loving heart, a relaxed energized body, and a clear quiet mind—even in the most difficult moments of life.

Breathwork gives us greater physical, emotional and psychological endurance and resilience. With it, we can improve our brain and nervous system activity, and we can strengthen our immune system. Breathwork strengthens and vitalizes our muscles, tendons, nerves, bones, and vital organs.

We use breathwork to eliminate headaches, back aches and other types of pain—and without drugs. And we use it to prevent many illnesses and to avoid injuries. Breathwork is to psychosomatic illness what penicillin was to bacterial infections!

Breathwork produces more success and harmony in relationships. It gives us more patience, empathy and compassion. We have a natural tendency to forgive and forget. It immunizes us against caregiver stress and burnout, while supporting us in expressing our greatest gifts.

We use it to overcome inherited limitations and genetic shortcomings, and to free ourselves from negative habits and tendencies. It helps us to recover from birth and infancy traumas; and it helps us to get free of negative or limiting family, cultural, and religious programming.

It helps us access greater intelligence, intuition, and wisdom. Breathwork opens us to non-ordinary and transcendent states of consciousness, and to a felt sense of our own natural divinity.

It allows us to get more pleasure from sex—taking it to a whole other level! And it takes our yoga and meditation and martial art practices to new and extraordinarily high levels.

And the best part of all is that with practice, anyone can reap these benefits! With good coaching and a minimum amount of knowledge and skills, you can begin to experience life-changing results starting from your very first session!

That’s why we have created the Breath Mastery Inner Circle Membership Program: so that you can educate yourself, learn from others, and receive free coaching, consulting and training directly from me.

I invite you to take advantage of our One time—Life Time Enrollment Offer.

All the information is here:
http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

PS: For a limited time only, you can receive an outrageous discount off the regular membership price! Look for the special discount code!

http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

Good luck in your Practice!
Dan

And please go to www.breathmastery.com.

Download your free copy of my book, “Shut Up And Breathe!” http://www.breathmastery.com/shutupandbreathe

PS: If you are ready to get onto the Path of Breath Mastery right now, you can enroll in the 60-Day Online Course: “21 Lessons in the Art and Science of Breathwork.” Visit: http://breathmastery.com/onlinecourse

Or, join my Breath Mastery Inner Circle, and freely access almost 40 years of breath and breathing research, articles, essays, audio/video files, seminar transcripts, workshop handouts, and even complete training manuals! Visit:
http://www.breathmastery.com/breathmastery-inner-circle-membership

(*) NOTE:None of this is meant as a substitute for medical advice. If you have a medical condition or any health concerns, consult your physician or a qualified medical professional before starting any exercise program.

The Three Basic skills in Breathwork

People often ask me: “What is the single best exercise to practice—what is the most important technique we need to master?”

Actually, there are three basic skills I think every Breathworker needs to learn—three things I teach to just about everyone who comes to me for Breathwork training.

The first skill is Breath Awareness: I teach people to become more conscious of their breathing. You can call this mindfulness training—meditation. Simply observe the breath. Sense it, feel it, watch it, listen to it. Tune into the details of your breathing.

What feelings and sensations occur when you breathe? What moves when you breathe? Is your breathing quick and shallow or slow and deep? What muscles do you use? Are the inhales longer than the exhales, or vice-versa? Are there pauses in the breath?

The idea is to just sit and turn your attention to the breath. Look for details in the breathing. Then you can take the practice into your everyday life. Observe how you breathe in different situations and circumstances.

How do you breathe when you are upset or in pain? How do you breathe when you are peaceful and calm? How do you breathe when someone insults you, or praises you? How do you breathe when you are listening to music?

How do you breathe when driving your car—or stuck in traffic? How do you breathe when you are confused, drowsy, excited, etc.? How do you breathe when you are trying to solve a math problem, or when you are having sex?

Begin to notice how your breathing pattern changes according to your psychological, emotional or physiological states. Begin to notice when it is affected by different thoughts and feelings and activities, by the food you eat, and by other people’s energy.

This is Breath Awareness. It’s the first basic skill: becoming more aware of your breathing. Notice it, listen to it, watch it, sense it. Don’t breathe in any certain way. Let it come and go by itself. Develop the habit of witnessing. Meditate on your breathing. The more breath awareness you have, the more benefit you will get from Breathwork.

The second skill is “Engaging the Exhale.” This means we practice using the exhale to relax—to trigger relaxation. We practice releasing the breath. It’s the skill of letting go. Master the art of letting go of the exhale go. Learn to set the breath free, to reflexively release it.

This second skill looks and sounds and feels like an exaggerated sigh of relief. The idea is to not control the exhale, but instead to let it go quickly and completely. When you let go of the exhale, let go of your muscles: the jaw, neck, shoulders, etc.

If you can’t let go of your exhale—fully and freely, quickly and completely—then don’t be surprised if you can’t let go of pain. Don’t be surprised if you can’t let go of fear or anxiety. Don’t be surprised if you can’t let go of thoughts that are going around in your head, keeping you stuck or obsessing.

However, when you master the skill of letting go of the exhale, you will surprise yourself at how easily you can let go of many other things on many other levels.

It help’s to take a full, deep, expansive inhale in order to trigger a powerful reflexive release on the exhale. And that leads us to The third skill.

The third skill is Conscious Breathing, or Breath Control. Here, we explore and experiment; we play with the breath. We gently test the range and the limits of our breathing. We practice giving the breath a certain pattern, a certain quality; or we breathe with a certain intention.

We practice breathing slowly as well as quickly. We practice breathing thru the nose as well as thru the mouth. We practice breathing high in the chest as well as low in the belly. We discover what feels easy, natural, or automatic; and what feels difficult, requires focus, or takes effort.

We can add visualization, or we can combine breathing and movement. We can also begin to practice some advanced techniques, like “connected breathing.” This means taking away the pauses between the breaths; it means circulating the breath—getting it to turn like a wheel. This is a very powerful breathing technique that I believe everyone needs to learn.

So, those are the three basic skills: breath awareness, relaxation, and breath control. They are the three pillars of breathwork. You master them and then you build on them.

So, what is the most important technique? What is the best thing to practice?

1. Practice observing your breath. Do some “breath watching.” Tune into the details of your breathing.

2. Practice engaging the exhale—releasing the breathing mechanism. Get good at letting go, at relaxation.

3. Practice conscious breathing. Explore, experiment. Breathe deliberately, in a way that is interesting, challenging, or simply feels good.

For more info: http://www.breathmastery.com/