Finding relief in the chaos: building a breath practice

By now you've certainly heard about all the benefits of meditation for stress relief, brain health and concentration. Beyond the measurable benefits according to western science, it's important to know that meditation traditionally was born out of a desire to explore the many levels of consciousness that is unique to the human experience. Meditation in goal and practice will be unique to each person but ones pursuit should come from a genuine desire to know ones own mind and heart. In such endeavors, a spirit of curiosity and grace is important to maintain.

I am imagining you, reader as one of two kinds of people.

Perhaps you have a meditation practice currently but are looking for ways of developing it further. Beginning or deepening a contemplative practice doesn't have to mean taking a formal training in meditation. What it does mean is sitting in silence for several moments on your own, alone with your thoughts and your breath. I encourage anyone looking to start or re-start a seated practice to experiment with various guided meditations and teachers, apps and reminders before deciding definitively that it's not for you. It took me years of starting and falling off a practice before finding one that really worked for me and allowed me to be consistent. I struggled with feelings of being 'bad at meditation', sure that others knew a secret to success that I hadn't found yet. However I can see now as I look back on those periods that even those 'failings' were the practice. Having the clarity to see that my relationship to the practice will ebb and flow as it grows and changes with me is something I have only been able to understand with experience. I can say confidently that my meditation practice continues to be one of the most difficult yet most rewarding things in my life. These days it has become a life line.

How to be still in the midst of restlessness

Many of my clients have commented on what I've also been experiencing in my own practice during this pandemic. It is very challenging to sit in meditation without the monkey mind completely taking over. It almost feels that by being still, the agitation of my mind and nervous system have full permission to party! Remember that these practices have a long history to them. They have helped people survive pandemics and grief, loss and catastrophes throughout time. So we would be smart to look at the tried and true tools developed from those who came before us.

Start with breath

Meditation is meant to be possible only AFTER breathwork which is ideally done after some movement. This makes sense if you think of the state of the body and mind after exercise that's appropriate for our body and stage of life. The combination of good energy and calm naturally comes from the chemicals released from our hormones during movement. Feeling this direct impact of the body on the mind, a clear altering of the energy, is the premise behind the breathing practices called pranayama. Similar to exercise, pranayama is an activity. It has a coordination, choreography and timing to it that requires the focused energy of the mind to execute. Beyond just the bodies natural functioning breath, a more conscious breath practice draws us away from the chatter of self-judgement, criticism and anger. Consider thinking of breathwork as a mediation 'prep' routine.

Pranayama is a series of breathing exercises for the purpose of harnessing energy. Different conditions determine which methods are best employed at different times or the day and year. The more advanced techniques should be learned from a qualified instructor but you don't need to participate in any training before leading yourself through a beginning exploration. Simple close your eyes and breathe. Feel your breath in your body expand and contract. Slow it down. Repeat.

Go ahead, try it right now by pausing and taking 7 slow and deep breaths. Notice how you feel.

Do this in a quiet, conscious manner, ideally at the same time everyday and allow a shift in your energy and experience to begin.

If you're interested in learning pranayama techniques, I invite you to join me for my online classes and workshops. I have been devoting some time in all Click on the events tab on my website to find info for my next offering or give one of my previous classes a try, found under class recordings.