Tuesday, April 11, 2017
April 11, 2017
by Dr. Kathleen Hall
Each of us is different. We have different personalities, different life experiences, and different likes and dislikes. After practicing and teaching meditation for over 30 years I have realized that different types of meditations work for different people. Which meditation draws you into your inner sacred space of peace and love? It is important that you choose an experience you enjoy because you will continue to practice it regularly and receive the incredible healing benefits of meditation.
The base or foundation of a meditation practice is learning about the power of your breath.
Simple Breath Meditation
In all other languages breath is the same one word for breath and spirit. The word breath is “Ruah” in Hebrew, “Prana” in Hindu, “Chi” in Chinese and “Pneuma” in Latin. This word in all languages means “vital force.”
We are always rushing around and we breathe very shallow and in a hurry. If you are not diaphragmatically, breathing deeply, you are not filling your lungs with critical oxygen. I wish we would teach our children to breath correctly just as we teach them reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Your breath is the first thing you do when you come out of your mother’s womb and enter this magnificent world and the last thing you will do before you die. Learning to breathe correctly will nourish and feed your body, mind, and soul.
Diaphragmatic Breathing. Breathe in through your nose gently.
- As you inhale, you will fill your lungs up with air and your belly will extend and pouch out. Remember lungs full and your belly out and rounded.
- As you exhale, the air exits your lungs and your tummy flattens. You pull your muscles against your back with your stomach pulled in.
You can do this simple breathing meditation by just stopping at any moment in your day and taking a few deep cleansing breaths. We call them cleansing breaths because they cleanse the mind, body, and soul with the nourishment of oxygen.
Let’s do four cleansing breaths to the count of four.
- Inhale, 1-2-3-4. Exhale 1-2-3-4.
- Inhale, 1-2-3-4. Exhale 1-2-3-4.
- Inhale, 1-2-3-4. Exhale 1-2-3-4.
- Inhale, 1-2-3-4. Exhale 1-2-3-4.
Close your eyes and just experience the pure peace you feel right now. What a gift. This is a tool you can use anytime, any place to restore and renew your mind, body, and soul.