I am almost done with Simple Meditation and Relaxation by Joel and Michelle Levey. This has been an enormously helpful book for me. I will write a formal review once I complete it, but I wanted to share some breathing exercises that I learned from this book.Count to Ten
This was hard for me at first. I would lose my focus before I reached the mid-way point. The idea is to breathe in (thinking good thoughts) and then breathe out (ridding bad thoughts) for a count of ten. It requires a lot of concentration, but I am getting better at it.
As I improve, I am adding a focus on my tailbone at the top and bottom of each breath. It's trickier than it seems!
The Nine-Part Breath
This breathing exercise requires that you inhale through one nostril then exhale through the other (taking turns) for a count of three.
Left nostril, inhale; Right nostril, exhale
Left nostril, inhale; Right nostril, exhale
Left nostril, inhale; Right nostril, exhale
Right nostril, inhale; Left nostril, exhale
Right nostril, inhale; Left nostril, exhale
Right nostril, inhale; Left nostril, exhale
Then breathe in though both nostrils for another three times
While inhaling, imagine your body being filled with a white light (positive energy). And while exhaling, imagine a reddish gas leaving your nostrils, taking all of the negative energy with it.
This one also requires a lot of concentration but is easier than counting to ten.
What are your favorite breathing exercises?
