Breathing (In MEDITATION)

Benefits of Deep Breathing

• Aids digestion
• Enhances functioning of the liver                                      
• Massages internal organs
• Helps blood flow to the brain 
• Assists kidneys in elimination
• Energizes muscles of respiration
• Boosts immune system by massaging spleen
• Increases blood circulation
• Prevents build-up of toxins in blood stream
• Increases elasticity in lung tissues
• Reduces heart rate and blood pressure                
• Increased nutrient and O2 input and enhanced CO2 elimination
• Increases peristaltic movement in intestines=greater assimilation of nutrients
• Balances sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous systems

Three Part Breath: Sit tall in a comfortable position.  Place hands on belly and inhale through the nose, gently expanding the abdomen.  Breathe into your palms and feel the belly expanding gently, like a balloon.  Exhale and allow the belly to release and contract. Inhale again ‘into the belly’, then visualize the breath flowing into the lower lungs, then middle lobes and finally upper chest.  Hold the air in for a few seconds and release through the nose, visualizing the breath flowing out in the reverse order—from the upper, middle and lower lungs.  At the end of the exhalation, bring the navel in towards the spine to empty the last bit of air from the belly.  Hold the breath out for a few seconds and repeat for several rounds. Then practice with a soft belly and face…..

Body Armor Visualization/Relaxation—to recognize the different levels of tension & stress and to allow relaxation of body and mind

Tense the body at different levels--then relax and notice the sensations...

1. Tighten enough to feel tension without pain. Begin by clenching your fists, then tighten arms and shoulders, thighs, abdomen, buttocks, feet and toes—squeeze facial muscles toward the center of your face...squeeze, tense and hold—notice how it feels...then let your body armor go completely...notice that your breath fills you naturally. Completely exhale out worry and fatigue—let it be absorbed into the floor. The breath just flows like ocean waves, then flows out again...
2. Once again, tense your body. This time, tense only half as much as the time before. Tense your arms, legs, face and hold...feel this level of tightness, then let go and release. Your breath will fill you as it flows in and then the breath flows out, carrying away the excess baggage of the moment, of the day...
3. Last time now—gently tense the whole body half as much as before...Observe this subtle tightness in hands and arms. Feel even at this level of tension that the muscles brace and grip...Now let go completely and relax into the ebb and flow of the breath...the body feeling heavy as it heavily sinks down into the floor.
4. Taking deep even breaths, infuse your body with vitality. Observe the mind as clear and calm. Silently affirm “I carry vitality and calmness into my day.”
5. Stretch, yawn...and become aware of your feelings of peace and power at a very deep level.  
6. Meditation Basics                                                                  
   Meditation is the process of quieting the mind to free yourself from preconceptions and illusions. The result is a clearer vision of the truth about yourself, your life and the world.
   We begin by relaxing. As we relax, we notice thoughts that arise and we gently push them away. The mind needs to be stilled occasionally to keep it working at peak efficiency. Meditation is mental maintenance—teaching yourself to relax your mind and release it from the stress of thought for a short period each day keeps the mind clear and clean. You’ll think better, see things more accurately and having greater insight. You’ll enhance your ability to concentrate and focus.
   Allow your meditation practice to be as stress free as possible. Don’t stress out when thoughts arise and interrupt. Don’t worry that you are not meditating correctlyJ  Feel your body, feel your breathing and feel who you are. Let your thoughts flow through your mind like pictures on a movie screen. Lovingly release each thought as it arises. 
   Allow your meditation practice to extend into your daily life. Remember the peace and stillness you’ve experienced during meditation, then pause to touch that same peace and stillness throughout your day.
   What is meditation and what is the purpose of meditation?
   There are many types of meditation. The one definition that fits almost all types is..."Consciously directing your attention to alter your state of consciousness."
   There's no limit to the things you can direct your attention toward... symbols, sounds, colors, breath, uplifting thoughts, spiritual realms, etc. Meditation is simply about attention... where you direct it, and how it alters your consciousness.
   Traditionally meditation was (and still is) used for spiritual growth...i.e. becoming more conscious; unfolding our inner Light, Love, & Wisdom; becoming more aware of the guiding Presence in our lives; accelerating our journey home to our True Self... our Spirit.
   More recently, meditation has become a valuable tool for finding a peaceful oasis of relaxation and stress relief in a demanding, fast-paced world.  Other uses include healing, lowering blood pressure/heart rate, eliciting the relaxation response (endorphin release), deepening concentration and insight, developing intuition, exploring higher realities, emotional cleansing and balancing, manifesting change, unlocking creativity, and finding inner guidance.
   General Guidelines for Meditation
   1. Put your expectations aside, and don't worry about doing it right. There are infinite possibilities and no fixed criterion for determining right meditation. There are, however, a few things to avoid. They are...
   ·        Trying to force something to happen.
   ·        Over-analyzing the meditation.
   ·        Trying to make your mind blank or chase thoughts away.
   ·        Putting too much emphasis on ‘doing it right’.
   2. It's not necessary - or advisable - to meditate on a completely empty stomach. If you're hungry, have a little something to eat before meditating.
   3. Find a quiet, comfortable place to meditate. You can sit in a comfortable chair, on the bed, on the floor... anywhere that's comfortable. It's not necessary to sit cross-legged. Your legs can be in any position that is comfortable.
   4. Eliminate as much noise and as many potential distractions as possible. Don't worry about those things that you can not control.
   5. When you sit to meditate, sit comfortably, with your spine reasonably straight. Leaning against a chair back, a wall, headboard, etc. is perfectly all right. If, for physical reasons, you can't sit up, lay flat on your back.
   6. Place your hands in any position that is comfortable. 
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   Some Misconceptions about Meditation
   1. Meditation is turning off your thoughts or making your mind a blank.
   Not True ...Inner quietness is experienced in meditation, but not by willfully turning off thoughts. Quieting the mind results naturally from:
   ·         the effectiveness of the method used... and
   ·         an uplifting spiritual energy that is beyond our own efforts.
   2. Meditation is difficult and requires great concentration.
   Not True ...Meditation can be easily learned and practiced. Meditation is only difficult if we become too concerned with doing it correctly or incorrectly. Although staying focused in meditation does become easier with time and practice, it is definitely not a requirement for beginning to meditate. Thinking that we should be good at focusing when first starting out, is essentially putting the cart before the horse.
   3. Meditation is not successful unless we see interesting things in our mind.
   Not True...Although some meditations are specifically for visualizing, many are not. In those meditations, seeing things may be entertaining, but is not essential. Even visualization does not necessarily require seeing. Some people sense or feel things inwardly, and that's all right.