Free Your Breath — Free Your Life
How breathwork can make you feel at ease and self-confident
The Way You Breathe Shows How You Live Your Life
Your breath and your attidtude towards life are interwoven. If you are anxious, your breath will be shallow. If you feel free, you will breathe deeply.
Try to explore this connection by only watching your breath in different situations — without trying to control or to influence it.
„Yes, that‘s right,“ you might say, „but how can this knowledge help me?“
The Start Into a More Mindful Life
Experiencing and being aware of your breath can be the start into a more conscious and mindful life for you. I‘ve been following this fascinating path since about fifteen years, and I invite you to come with me.
In this article I want to show you the basic connections between breath and life, and how you can use them to feel more at ease, to better deal with difficult situations, and to find yourself — every day a little more.
The Interaction Between Breath and Emotion
As mentioned above your breath indicates the state of your emotions. The wonderful fact is, that the connection between emotions and attitude towards life on the one side and the way you breathe on the other side also works in the opposite direction.
This means: If you are able to free your breath and allow it to get into the flow, you can boost your well-being, and your life will get into the flow, too.
It‘s not About Breathing Techniques! It‘s About Allowing and Letting Happen.
There are different ways to work with breath. In yoga classes, for example, you learn breathing techniques.
It is not my intention to rate the different ways. As humans are different, everyone has their individual way and choice fitting to their character and personal attitude of getting in touch with life.
I invite you to explore the way of allowing and letting happen. But first let’s look at the three phases of breathing.
The Three Phases of Breathing
Most of us believe that there are only two phases of breathing: We breathe in, and we breathe out.
If you focus on your breath without controlling or influencing it, you can discover that there is a third phase: the pause after breathing out — just before the breathing-in comes back.
It is similar to the waves of the ocean, which roll over the beach and roll back: They come and go, and then we wait until they come again.
In this pause between breathing out and breathing in lies and happens the essential.
The Gifts of the Third Phase of Breathing
Experiencing the three phases of breathing, especially the third one — the pause —, we can be richly endowed. We can draw inner and outer peace, serenity, energy, strength, self-consciousness, and self-confidence.
And this will influence our surrounding, too.
Awareness Instead of Optimization Constraint
It‘s not about controlling or forcing or extensioning the third phase of breath. It‘s only about awareness.
It‘s not about breathing in a „correct“ or „the right“ way. It‘s about allowing your personal breath getting into the flow.
How to Begin?
You don‘t have to pay attention to your breath the whole day long. This would be counterproductive.
Take a few minutes in the morning or in a small break during the day or in the evening before going to bed. You will find the time which is good for you. You can also do it while waiting for the train or the bus.
Close your eyes, if possible, and be aware of your breath. Does it stop, or does it flow? Is it shallow or deep? Where in your body can you feel the movement of breath? You may put your hands there.
Every time after breathing out wait until the breathing-in happens by itself. That’s important! Don’t suck it in, just let it happen.
Don‘t judge! Don’t try to influence it! Just be aware of it!
Perhaps — after a little time — you will experience a change emerging in your breathing.
When you turn to your breath in this way, you turn to yourself. You ask yourself in the attitude of acceptance and self-love: How do I feel at the moment?
This is where transformation can happen.
Create a Daily Ritual
Over many centuries monks have been doing their daily „exercitium“, their daily exercise of prayer or meditation. This can be a helpful picture for your daily breathing ritual. It is a small kind of meditation — connecting body and mind.
Give it a fixed time or/and place in your day. You can do it several times a day, if you want.
I am convinced: You will soon experience a change in your everyday life and your habit.
Please let me know!
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