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How Breathing Differently Can Make You Happier
By Adam Eason
"When you breathe, you inspire. When you do not
breathe, you expire." ¨C Quote from an 11-year-old¡¯s
science exam
John Grinder, co-creator of NLP talks about the link
between respiration, physiology, internal state and high
performance. He calls this ¡®the chain of excellence¡¯. I
recently read a book by Osho, the wonderfully non-PC
mystic and guru. In the book, Osho instructed the
reader to pay attention to their breathing rate when they
were sad, and notice the timing of the in-breath and out-
breath. He explained that next time they were happy,
they could re-induce the sad state by merely repeating
the breathing pattern. Fortunately, he added, it works
the other way round too!
Follow some or all of these exercises;
Firstly; When you are experiencing a powerful, positive
state, allow yourself to become aware of your breathing
rate. Pay particular attention to the timing and rhythm of
your in-breath and out-breath.
Secondly; Next time you are in a neutral or negative
state, start breathing at the rate and rhythm from
exercise one, and within a minute or so, the positive
state should begin to return.
Many gurus advise people to do breathing exercises
regularly. I know Tony Robbins does in his marvellous
book ¡°Unlimited Power¡± he advises that you start each
day with a breathing exercise of inhaling slowly and
deeply, then holding it for twice as long as the inhalation
and exhaling in twice the pace. It really is invigorating
and a great way to get motivated at the start of the day,
especially if you are looking to do some things with your
day that require motivation.
Breathing is powerful, our life force and is a major factor
influencing our state of mind (if you uncertain about this,
hold your breath for two minutes & re-read this
sentence) This being the case, please use your
common sense when doing any of these exercises (if
you have a respiratory condition, please check with your
health advisor first.) I do not want any asthmatics
complaining that they did themselves harm following
these exercises!!
So, thirdly; Start breathing comfortably but deeply, in
through your nose & out through your mouth. Imagine
that you are breathing from that area of your abdomen
just beneath your belly button. Make the in-breath last to
a count of 5 and the out-breath to a count of 6. Continue
for at least 2 minutes, and notice what happens.
This 5:6 ratio seems to be a simple yet powerful way
you can induce a relaxed state at will. The art of Yogic
breathing is called Pranayama. Pranayama offers
many different approaches for cleansing the mind &
body through breathing exercises. Here¡¯s one of them
(with thanks to RA Wilson):
Fourthly (this may seem a bit odd to do, I¡¯d recommend
not doing this in front of friends or at work!) ; Lie on your
back & pant like a dog, breathing rapidly in & out
through your mouth 20 times. Then, breathe slowly,
deeply and gently in and out 20 times through your
nose. Once again, do the mouth-panting 20 times, then
resume gentle nose-breathing. Notice what happens.
This technique is referred to as the breath of fire, and
typically results in a state of¡ well, you find out!
These techniques can be very powerfully utilised when
wanting to get in control of your state if you are going
through a period of change such as reducing your
weight, stopping smoking or developing more
confidence.
Please remember that most people don¡¯t breathe nearly
enough. Start to breathe more deeply and notice how
much better you feel. Have lots of fun with this. Notice
how good you can make your self feel when you
breathe differently. About the Author To receive Adam's amazing bi-monthly newsletter, packed with modern, innovative, psychological tips, techniques and information visit http://www.adam-eason.com You'll also receive a free instantly downloadable hypnosis session to enjoy at home.
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