Meditation practice: WATCHING YOUR BREATH
To calm mental, emotional, or spiritual fluctuations, it is important to bring your attention to your breath to notice what is happening with your breath. The more disrupted the breathing rhythm is, the more signals of stress and anxiety we feel.
The process of monitoring your breathing involves counting the slow inhalations and exhalations, and thiscan help you to be present in this moment. Use diaphragmatic breathing and Ujjay pranayama throughout the practice.
Some of the benefits of this meditation are as follows:
1. Helps reduce anxiety and relieve tension
2. Acts as an anti-stress
3. Reduces heart rate and lowers blood pressure
4. Helps develop focus, clarity, concentration
5. This is the basis for other breathing exercises
Practical steps:
1. Take a few deep breaths in and out through your nose, then allow your breathing to return to its natural rhythm. Do it gently and slowly.
2. Now, as you inhale, begin to count “1,2,3” to yourself as you inhale. Notice the natural pause after inhalation. Then exhale, counting “1,2,3” to yourself as you exhale. Pay attention to the natural pause after exhalation.
3. Increase the duration of inhalation and exhalation with each round and try to achieve a count of “1,2,3,4,5” on inhalation and exhalation.
4. After 5 rounds, begin to lengthen the exhalation, increasing it to 7 counts. The ratio of inhaling for 5 counts and exhaling for 7 counts is ideal. If at first it is difficult, then practice inhaling for 4: exhaling for 6 or inhaling for 3: exhaling for 5.
5. If your attention wanders, just start over. Exhale deeply and pause briefly. With the next inhalation, continue counting.
6. To achieve positive results, practice 7-10 minutes daily for at least 2 weeks.
You can practice this meditation at any time.
Relative contraindications to the practice: dizziness or low blood pressure