Mmmmm Bee Breath Meditative Exercise

This is an extract from today's Monday Meditation Musing .. our free e-news each Monday morning straight to your inbox. Bringing a meditative thought to your week. If you would like to join the 'tribe' you can sign up through the link below.

BEE BREATH "BRAHMARI"

Based on a yoga pranayama (breathwork) practice known as Brahmari (Sanskrit word for 'bee') this Meditative Exercise encourages a deep 'letting go' of the breath, the jaw (because we often clench) and voice (because we often hold our voice). 

This exercise is soothing both for the natural lengthening of the exhalation, and also the vibration of the hum which helps ease a racing mind and loosen the throat. As a variation you can also use your thumbs to block your ears to intensify the sound and help draw your attention inward. 

* Start with just observing your natural breath .. noticing how you are breathing in this moment .. strong, patchy, long or short, deep or shallow? Just notice 
* Then, keeping your lips lightly sealed, inhale through the nostrils and as you exhale, sound the letter Mmmmmmm (the buzzing sound) 
* Sustain the Mmmmmm as long as comfortable or until you have exhaled completely (right through to the very end of the breath before your body asks you to inhale again) 
* Repeat. 
* Inhaling through the nose and humming as a bee as you exhale. Try not to force or control the breath as this will only cause stress; just slow and steady. 
* Continue for as long as you need to (for several minutes if comfortable) as the longer you sustain the humming exhalation the more relaxing the practice.  
Bee Breath can be used to encourage relaxation as part of your regular daily practice, or as a remedy in the 'heat of the moment'. The longer you continue the exercise the more relaxing the practice is likely to be, but do not force your breath as this will have the reverse effect and cause undue stress. Inhale when you need to and allow a rhythm to naturally unfold - never forcing the breath. 

And when you have finished the exercise spend a few moments just sitting quietly and noticing how your breath and mind 'feel' before returning to your day. 

* The Bee Breath practice is just one exercise from our "Meditative Exercises : Simple and Effective Exercises for Everyday Life" E-Book which is available on our STORE page ($9.95) 

The Breath

(Pic: Note To Self Just Breathe by Holly2007)

My first meditation instruction occurred when I was a teenager .. and it was all about the breath. 

Using the breath as an anchor in meditation is what I call a 'foundation practice' .. a good place to start before moving onto other meditation practices.  

The breath is an ideal anchor as it is readily available to us (you don't need to remember to bring your breath with you to meditation class!) and is a great biofeedback tool (so you know how you are travelling in any moment).  Using the breath to balance body and mind is an ancient practice (in yoga called pranayama or breath mastery) and many of our Meditative Exercises that we practice in class are based on these tried and tested practices. 

Incorrect or inefficient breathing makes us feel anxious, tired, foggy in the mind and distracted.

Good breathing (diaphragmatic) makes us naturally feel more at ease at it restores our body's natural regulatory system .. 'feeding' the brain with vital oxygen which is often the reason behind that foggy, distracted feeling.

"Moving your diaphragm when you breathe communicates to every cell of your body that you are 'safe'," says biochemist and author, Dr Libby Weaver.

If you are interested in learning more then you might like our new E-Book : Meditative Exercise: simple and effective exercises for everyday life - simply go to our Shop for instant download ($9.95).

Moments of Pure Magic

You don't have to sit to meditate.  This surprises people .. but yoga, tai chi and qi gong are forms of movement meditation and walking is a very traditional meditation practice.

This week in our meditation class we did some movement meditation .. and when you get home from a busy day at the office (lots of left brain cerebral stuff but not much physical movement) then it is important to honour and allow the body to move, stretch, energize, release .. before taking your seat.

We need to ANCHOR the body so we can ANCHOR the mind.

 

By including some Mindfulness of Body meditation techniques into your day, you can begin to build a greater understanding of your body, noticing where you habitually hold your stress and actively learning to release that stored tension .. so that you feel more grounded and at ease.

 

I am currently pushing to finish my new E-Book "Meditative Exercises : Moments of Pure Magic" (tentative title here) and happen to be on the Chapter that is all about Mindfulness of Body. 

 

Hearing a class exclaim how 'magical' it was to feel their chi/prana/life energy come alive, sparkle and flow through their body after our movement practice .. and to then take that aliveness to their meditation practice ..

 

is MAGIC!