The Power of Breathing and Breathing Techniques
Breathing and Neurology
Breathing is one of the most profound and direct ways we have of changing or tuning our chemical and biological state to affect our neurology.Within breath is contained life-force (energy, ki. chi, prana, etc.).The assimilation and direction of life-force can be further increased through awareness.
Rapport and Bonding
Through breathing we interact with our surroundings.The air you breathe in now was the exhalation of someone else.
Matching the breathing of another, breathing in unison with another, is one of the fastest ways to create a rapport.You can change the state of another by passing his or her breathing and then leading by slowly changing the pattern, depending on what you desire to accomplish - e.g. stimulate more excitement or calm down another.
Tantric lovers consciously use techniques of circular breathing to build a strong bond of union. The simplest is that one lover inhales while the other exhales. Partners can circle and increase energy when the active partner inhales through the nose and exhales through the genitals, while the receptive, or other partner inhales through the genitals and exhales through the nose.Making smaller circles, for instance between the sex chakra and the heart chakra, to promote intense and passionate love.
Breathing and Trance States
Deep, relaxed breathing promotes calmness and helps to induce a trance state.When breathing in, breathe deeply into your stomach, hold the breath for a few moments, and exhale very slowly.Repeat the process several times.You will notice an instant sense of increased calmness.
This kind of breathing also helps when you find yourself emotionally overwhelmed.Deep breathing will help you to let go of stress and restore mental and emotional equilibrium, enabling you to handle the situation more effectively.
One breathing technique that promotes overall relaxation is by focusing on different parts of your body and breathing through that part of the body until it feels totally loose and relaxed, beginning with your feet, and continuing with your calves, knees, thighs, buttocks, stomach, back, chest (breast), arms, shoulders, neck and completing the process with your head.
Maintaining your awareness on breathing, simply watching it without consciously attempting to change it (it will change of its own accord) promotes an awareness of the present moment.
When you are immersed in reading a book or when you are solving a mathematical problem, your mind is very much absorbed in the object of your focus. If you closely watch your breath on these occasions, you will find that the breath has become very very slow. Mind and Breathing and closely connected.
Breathing and Healing
You can use the breath to send your attention and energy to certain parts of your body.In this way you can increase the awareness of your body, as well as stimulate the healing energy.To accelerate the healing process, all you need to do is imagine that you are breathing through the the part of your body that needs healing.Health problems are a result of "congested energy" and breathing helps both to release this blockages and allow the unobstructed flow of energy through the body, as well as to increase the life-force in that part of the body.
Breathing and Pain Management
Directing breathing to a painful area of the body relaxes the muscles and helps to eliminate pain.For example, if you feel tightness in your stomach, you may notice instant improvement after just a few focused breaths.In this case, simply imagine that you are breathing through your stomach.
Breathing and Child Delivery
There are four kinds of breathing that immensely help to ease, and control child delivery process.During the first stage of delivery, when contractions are few minutes apart, simply breathing through to stomach with the rise of each contraction, will release the tension, relax the muscles and dissolve all discomfort.As the interval between contractions shortens and they become more intense, a more intense, panting type of breathing helps to dissolve the discomfort.
As the delivery moment is approaching and you begin to feel the pressure and an urge to push, yet still need to wait for the doctor to check that the baby is properly positioned, the breathing that relieves the pressure is taking several breaths rapidly through your teeth, as if you're making a hissing sound and then very slowly and deeply exhaling.The long exhalation helps to relax and lift off the pressure.
The purpose of the fourth kind of breathing in delivery is to help you speed up the delivery and to prevent the push and pull of the baby.This last kind of breathing takes a little bit of practice.You are to slowly take in the breath, hold it for one minute, while focusing all your strength on pushing with your stomach muscles.Then you need to maintain this push and in order to do so, you exhale very slowly, immediately taking another deep breath and holding it for another minute.You need to be able to maintain the push for 3-5 minutes, all along taking in the breath and holding it for one minute.You are likely to deliver the baby in only three minutes.
Removing Emotional Blocks
Deep intense breathing brings you in touch with deep seated emotions, the fears, pains and anger, and releases them.A very effective breathing technique that releases deep seated emotions and released energy blocks that prevent the free flow of energy is conscious-connected breathing.In this type of breathing there is no pause between the inhalation and exhalation, just one continuous flow.
You naturally breath in this way after ,what represents for you, an intense physical exertion - e.g. running a long distance.This is just about the only kind of breathing in which you may breathe (inhale and exhale) through your mouth.
Even if you breathe only for several minutes in this way - e.g. 20 conscious connected breaths, you'll release some emotional and energetic blocks.To experience the whole process, which may last even 45 minutes, it is best to contact a "certified rebirther" in your area.A "rebirther" is simply a guide - a person who has undergone this process and is experienced in guiding you through it.
The above process was initiated by Leonard Orr.The name "rebirthing" stuck because many people who went through the process would re-live their "birth" experience.The similar process, initiated by Stan Grof is "holotropic breathwork".
As you keep on breathing in the above manner, your body will feel energized and you will feel tingles all over your body.As the energy pushes through the energetic blocks in your body, initially you may feel a slight discomfort and attempt to resist the process.Resisting the process actually intensifies discomfort, so the only way through is to keep on breathing.As you surrender to the breathing process, at some point you'll even feel that it's not you who are breathing, but that the breath is breathing you, purifying every cell and atom of your body.As energetic and emotional obstacles dissolve, your breathing will gradually return to normal and you'll feel super-energized.
Accessing Creativity
There are several techniques for accessing creativity through breathing.One of them involves switching the nostril through which you are breathing.Throughout the day you'll notice that the nostril through which you are breathing changes.For a while you breathe through the right nostril, then the nostril changes, and you breathe through the left nostril.After a while, nostrils change again.As the left side of the body controls the right-brain thinking (creative), and the right side of the body controls the left-brain thinking (logical), to stimulate creativity and right-brain thinking, you simply close down your right nostril (with your thumb) and breathe through the left nostril, thus stimulating the right-brain activity.
Accelerating the Creation Process
Like God breathed life into his creation, magicians and healers breathe raised energy into the desired outcome.Focused energy, like a laser beam, always hits the target and brings about the manifestation, yet to create a change, to shapeshift your reality, you need to generate energy.The more energy you have, the more power you have.Individual with more energy easily re-arranges the lower-energy patterns.Or, if you will, in the conflict between the two, the one with more energy (higher vibration, more power) always wins over the one with lower energy (lower vibration, less power).More about this is mentioned elsewhere - throughout this website and through different reports and lessons that come with the self-hypnosis programs.Once the energy is raised (generated) it is directed, through breath and visualization, toward the manifestation of desired goal.
Kundalini Awakening Meditation
Kundalini breathing is the yogic process of consciously creating and sustaining a definite ascending and descending flow of cosmic energy through the cerebro-spinal channel.
While you are breathing in, imagine that together with your breath, you are breathing in the energy (life-force, ki. chi, prana) and imagine that this energy (you can imagine it as a ball of energy) is flowing down your spine.When it gets to the bottom of your spine, to the sacral energy center (chakra), imagine it striking the nerve center and awakening Kundalini. While you are breathing out imagine the energy and awakening Kundalini, rising up all the way from your sacral chakrato the top of your head.
After a while you may notice a sensation of heat rising up from the bottom of your spine.You may also become aware of increased energy manifesting as a tingling sensation, as if an electric current was running through your body.
Alternative Kundalini Awakening Meditation
When you practice the following, concentrate on the sacral energy center (Muladhara chakra) at the base of the spinal column, which is triangular in form and which is the seat of the Kundalini Shakti. Close the right nostril with your fight thumb. Inhale through the left nostril till you count to 3 slowly. Imagine that you are drawing the energy together with air you are inhaling.
Then close the left nostril with your little and ring fingers of the right hand. Then retain the breath for the count of 12. Send the current down the spinal column straight into the triangular lotus, the Muladhara chakra. Imagine that the nerve-current is striking against the lotus and awakening the Kundalini.
Then slowly exhale through the right nostril counting to 6. Repeat the process from the right nostril as stated above, using the same units, and having the same imagination and feeling.
This breathing technique will awaken the Kundalini quickly. Do it 3 times in the morning and 3 times in the evening. Increase the number and time gradually and cautiously according to your strength and capacity.
In this breathing technique, concentration on the sacral energy center is the important thing. Kundalini will be awakened quickly if the degree of concentration is intense and if the breathing technique is practiced regularly.
As you inhale, feel that the Kundalini lying dormant in the sacral chakra is awakened and is going up from chakra to chakra.The more vivid the visualization of chakra after chakra, the more rapid will be your progress. Imagine that your whole being is pervaded by light, love, wisdom and power.
Slowly exhale now. And, as you exhale feel that the Kundalini Shakti is gradually descending from the top of your head (Sahasrara chakra), and from chakra to chakra, to the end of your spine (Muladhara chakra).
Now repeat the process.
Complete Yoga Breath
Sitting up straight or standing, or lying flat when possible, begin by expanding the abdomen and breathing into the lower lungs. Continue filling the middle lungs, expanding your lower ribs, then the middle ribs, then lifting the upper ribs, expand the upper chest. Finally, to get that air into the lungs highest areas, contract the abdomen just a bit. Your shoulders will lift a bit.
Hold your breath for just five seconds, no more. Finally, exhale through your nose, slowly, again contracting your stomach muscles.
Now, relax completely. Breathe normally for a breath or two, and repeat the complete breath.You can start with a few breaths, and gradually increase the number of breaths - as long as it feels comfortable.
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Sit up straight. Close the right nostril with the right thumb. Draw in the air very, very slowly through the left nostril. Then close the left nostril also with little and ring fingers of the right hand. Retain the air as long as you can comfortably do. Then exhale very, very slowly through the nostril after removing the thumb.
Then draw air through the right nostril. Retain the air as before and exhale it very, very slowly through the left nostril.
Repeat the above process 20 times in the morning and 20 times in the evening.Gradually increase the number.While breathing the above manner, imagine that with every exhalation, all tensions and negative attitudes (emotions) are leaving you and with every exhalation imagine that love, joy and peace are entering into being together with the air you are inhaling.
This kind of breathing cleanses the mind and the body, improves focus and concentration, and accelerates healing.