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In this modern world of stress and hurry it is vitally necessary to learn how to relax and regain a state of balance in our lives. The following exercises will teach you how to bring this about. There are no elaborate rituals or effort involved. Just an ability to learn the simple techniques and to enjoy the result. The first thing to do is to practise the art of silent whistling! By that I mean as follows: Purse your lips as if about to whistle and very gently blow out the breath. Now relax the lips so that they are more relaxed and instead of making an 'O' shape they are just, and only just, partly open. Again blow the air out gently. You will find that, although blowing gently, you take slightly longer to expel the air. This is correct. You will feel a very slight 'back pressure' and the air takes slightly longer to exhale. You will blow outwards longer. Once you have achieved this it is time to seat yourself comfortably in a relaxed posture on a cushion on the floor, legs crossed if practical for you, and just sit and relax. Once your breathing is naturally steady and calm, inhale through the nose partially filling your lungs and then, using the gently pursed lips, exhale through the mouth, at the same time VERY gently blowing your silent whistle. Keep the exhalation going until you almost run out of breath. Do not struggle to get the last of the air out. Do it in a relaxed way. Now repeat the inhalation of breath (this time you will find that you naturally draw in more breath than usual). Exhale in the same way, expeling most of the air. Do this twice more and notice that your breathing has slowed down considerably and that you are breathing more deeply. All the while you are taking these FOUR breaths, relax the body, especially the shoulders and arms, and notice the internal feelings within your body. You will become even more relaxed. After the four breaths just continue to breath naturally without conscious effort. There is no need to purse the lips any more. Just breath as you feel the need. It will be gentle and envigorating at the same time. If you have closed your eyes, so much the better. Continue for as long as circumstances permit. You can do it sitting at a keyboard if you wish, or whilst in a dentist waiting-room. It is not essential to be sitting on the floor. It can be anywhere. Just enjoy the relaxation. The essential component is the way that you expel the air during the FOUR breaths. Those that come after are just at your natural rate. They will be slower and deeper than when you first started. Know that you have utilised YOUR time for this exercise. It is a reward that you deserve and indeed need. It is good for you and you will function all the better for it. Now you can relax any time that you want using the 4 shamanic breaths. Enjoy the experience. Remember always that YOU ARE IN CONTROL. |