Re: Basic breathing

Hi Chris ~

From what you are describing it sounds like you have energy moving upwards instead of downwards which will create an elevation of the shoulders and a lot of tension in the shoulders and the neck. Headaches are also associated with energy rising into the head. The fact that you are also experiencing your heart pounding suggests that you may have some liver congestion that is creating heat... which rises and also contributes to headaches and tension. Liver congestion can occur for a variety of reasons and.. if you are interested in knowing more about this... post a message on my forum... O Julien's Circle... and I'll try to help you discover what the source might be.

In the meantime... make sure that you're breathing all the way down into your belly. This is the natural way of breathing which we all do as young children. If you observe a baby breathing you can see that their chest moves very little and it is their abdomen that moves up and down. You want to gently bring your breath all the way down into your tummy... without forcing your breathing... so that your energy will be more grounded. This is key to relaxing the body and calming the mind. Also... bring your awareness to your shoulders and check to see if they are raised and then consciously drop them. You need to reverse the habitual patterns that your body has acquired as a result of stress. Just remember that this takes and you don't want to be forceful with yourself... kinda like trying without trying.

Also... make sure that you are not contracting your stomach on the inhalation. There is actually a breathing practice known as reverse breathing where one does this intentionally. However... it is a very powerful practice that can create problems if done prior to achieving a deeper state of relaxation or if done to excess.

Here's a link that discusses some general guidelines for breathing...


http://members.tripod.com/internalart/the%20art%20of%20meditation/breathing.htm


And don't worry about the terminology or the technical aspects... just keep it simple!

I don't get email alerts on posts... so if you have any additional questions I'll be more likely to see them on my forum... and feel free to post them. Tweet