A Miracle of Your Life :: Breath...

THE 30 SECOND MINDFULNESS 

PRACTICE THAT WILL CHANGE 

YOUR LIFE

Mindfulness practice has been gaining steam as a popular school 
routine, as many studies show that it can not only improve 
concentration, but also attendance, behavior, memory and overall 
well-being in our children.It seems that being presently aware comes 
more easily to children than adults, as well.

The easiest technique often first introduced to children has a basis
in physiology. They are taught about the amygdala, a small area of
our mid brain responsible for sensing when we experience stress.

It responds appropriately with the all-important ‘fight or flight’ response
to stressful situations.

This evolutionary adaptation was probably originally utilized mainly
in life or death situations, however the amygdala does not differentiate
between an argument, a stressful test,  or being chased by a predator.
What it knows is a feeling of danger, and reacts by blocking the prefrontal
cortex, responsible for thinking logically.

However, we do not live in a world where we are chased by predators
(usually), so when  we experience stress, we typically want more options
than fight or flight.

So, what mindfulness tool can we employ to regain access to the higher
reasoning prefrontal cortex that our amygdala so efficiently blocks
(for your safety, of course) when we get stressed out?

It’s simple: breathe.

When you breathe deeply, your brain is flooded with oxygen. this signals
to your amygdala that it’s safe to calm down. Whenever you experience
stress, the simplest way to diffuse that is to stop what you’re doing and
take several deep breaths with slow exhales.

It’s obvious that this diffuses stress to anyone mindful enough to employ
this simple tactic.  Do yourself a favor: the next time you experience the
racing heart and rising blood pressure that are the hallmarks of stress,
remember your little amygdala, and breathe.

It could change your life!

source and courtesy: thespiritscience.net

Nadi Shodhan Pranayama ( Article from http://www.artofliving.org with Thanks)

A beautiful breathing technique that helps keep the mind calm, happy and peaceful. A few minutes of Nadi Shodhan pranayama in a day is best to de-stress the mind and release accumulated tension and fatigue. The breathing technique is named Nadi Shodhan, as it helps clear out blocked energy channels in the body, which in turn calms the mind.

(nadi = subtle energy channel; shodhan = cleaning, purification; pranayama = breathing technique)

How to do Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhan Pranayama)

1. Sit comfortably with your spine erect and shoulders relaxed. Keep a gentle smile on your face.
2. Place your left hand on the left knee, palms open to the sky or in Chin Mudra (thumb and index finger gently touching at the tips).
3. Place the tip of the index finger and middle finger of the right hand in between the eyebrows, the ring finger and little finger on the left nostril, and the thumb on the right nostril. We will use the ring finger and little finger to open or close the left nostril and thumb for the right nostril.
4. Press your thumb down on the right nostril and breathe out gently through the left nostril.
5. Now breathe in from the left nostril and then press the left nostril gently with the ring finger and little finger. Removing the right thumb from the right nostril, breathe out from the right.
6. Breathe in from the right nostril and exhale from the left. You have now completed one round of Nadi Shodhan pranayama. Continue inhaling and exhaling from alternate nostrils.
7. Complete 9 such rounds by alternately breathing through both the nostrils. After every exhalation, remember to breathe in from the same nostril from which you exhaled. Keep your eyes closed throughout and continue taking long, deep, smooth breaths without any force or effort.
   Nadi Shodhan pranayama helps relax the mind and prepares it to enter a meditative state. So it is a good idea todo a short meditation after doing Nadi Shodhan. Some others practice this breathing technique as part of thePadma Sadhana sequence.

Benefits of Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhan Pranayama)

• Excellent breathing technique to calm and center the mind. Our mind has a tendency to keep regretting or glorifying the past and getting anxious about the future. Nadi Shodhan pranayama helps to bring the mind back to the present moment.
• Works therapeutically for most circulatory and respiratory problems.
• Releases accumulated stress in the mind and body effectively and relaxes it.
• Helps harmonize the left and right hemispheres of the brain, which correlate to the logical and emotional sides of our personality.
• Helps purify and balance the nadis, the subtle energy channels, thereby ensuring smooth flow of prana (life force) through the body.
• Maintains body temperature.

Points to remember while practicing Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhan Pranayama)

• Do not force the breathing, keep the flow gentle and natural. Do not breathe from the mouth or make any sound while breathing. Also, do not use the Ujjayi breath.
• Place the fingers very lightly on the forehead and nose. There is no need to apply any pressure.
• In case you feel dull and are yawning after practicing Nadi Shodhan pranayama, check the time you take to inhale and exhale. Your exhalation should be longer than inhalation.

Breathing Quotes

Breathing Essentials

Breathing consciously is our first step to a more refined and energy-filled life. It is essential that you become very aware of our breathing habits to ensure that you are breathing correctly.

Four Important questions of your Breathing.

1. Are you inhaling through your nose or Mouth?

- If you breathe in through your mouth, you are not allowing your body to naturally filter and purify your intake of air. Airborne pollutants that are not filtered through your nose ultimately end up in your lungs. This is unhealthy.

- If you find yourself inhaling through your mouth, correct it by consciously guiding your breath into your body through your nose. With this gentle guidance, your body will eventually adjust to the healthier way of breathing.

2. Do your chest and stomach expand or contract when you breath in?

- If your stomach and chest contract when you inhale, you are breathing unnaturally, hindering the flow of prana into your body. If this is the case, you must take control of your breathing to correct it. Several times as day, take note of you breathing pattern. If you find your chest and stomach are contracting as you inhale, guide your chest and stomach to naturally expand as you breath in and contract as you exhale.

3. Does your in-breath travel deeply into your abdomen or does it finalize in your chest?

- If your in-breath only travel to your chest, you are not allowing prana to invigorate your body and mind with energy and you will remain listless and lack energy. Thus, this should be corrected by deliberately reviewing your breathing several times throughout the day- if you invite your breath deep into your abdomen enough times, your body will develop this new, healthier habit.

4. What do you feel as life-giving oxygen enters and exits your body?

- By observing what sensations and emotions you experience while life-giving breath is travelling in and out of your body, you raise your consciousness to a new level of understanding. From these positions, you interact with the essence of life and how it affects you in all situations. You will become consciously aware of how the quality of the air you breath affects your body and your overall energy level and recognize when your body is not receiving enough life-giving prana due to polluted or poorly filtered air. You will also realise that point at which your body is not working in natural accord with your respiratory and circulatory systems and either increase your pranayamic or physical exercise to enhance your overall health or break from exercise for a period of time to allow your body to rest.

NOW THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO BREATH IN THE MOST BENEFICIAL AND NATURAL WAY, YOU CAN ADVANCE TO FORMALISED TECHNIQUES OF PRANAYAMA.