Nectar of life

Pathways is a quarterly Mind Body Spirit magazine for the DC Metro area. It has an extensive directory of resources in the holistic world. They are having a Natural Living Expo on October 5, which I attended last year.

The breath is a constant link and reminder to the ebb and flow of life, ceaseless change, yet constant rhythm. Breathing exercises can help reduce stress and bring you to your center. When focusing on your breath be sure to note the pause between inhales and exhales when you are completely still. Here are a few exercises:

Breath of fire: I have just recently learned this technique, and still do not know very much about it or how it is used. It is the most powerful breath and is very beneficial and cleansing. I first learned it in my kundalini yoga class, where we would hold a posture and do the breath of fire for up to 2 minutes. We also practice it with 3 sets of 15 breaths in my dance class, which I think is better for beginners. It is a rhythmic, fast breath, in which you just focus on using your abdomen to force air out through your nose. Your body will automatically inhale. Do this as rapidly as you can but start with 15-20 breaths at a time. Then on your last breath, exhale all the air completely from your lungs. Take a full cleansing breath.

Alternate nostril breathing: Place one hand on your nose, resting your fingers so that they would be able to pinch it shut if needed. Close the right nostril and exhale through the left. Inhale through the left then close the left nostril, open the right, and exhale through the right. Inhale, then close the right nostril and exhale through the left. Repeat this process. A good visualization is to visualize your chakras and sushumna, the luminous channel running through your spine, and then the ida and pingala, the channels which enter through your right and left nostrils and criss-cross through each chakra. Then after a while, open both nostrils and take deep cleansing breaths. It will calm and align your chakras.

Intestinal massage/work out: Breathe into your stomach, filling it, and then on the exhale, pull your stomach in a bit. You can place your hands on your stomach to feel it expand, and then pull in. Focus on the energy in this area. This will massage your intestines and help with digestion. I learned this at Dahn Yoga, and they recommend 1000 per day, most importantly when you wake up and before you eat.

Three part breathing: First take breaths to fill your belly, as you would during meditation and the previous two exercises mentioned. Take slow deep breaths, and try to exhale for longer than it took to inhale, this will help relaxation. Then start to fill your belly first, then the middle abdomen area around your rib cage. Take some breaths filling these 2 regions. Finally, begin to fill your lungs and upper chest as the third part of the breath. Continue three part breathing for as long as you wish. Breathing in this manner will bring 7 times more oxygen into your body. I learned this from my belly dance teacher, and we do it at the beginning of class to prepare our bodies for dancing.