Where else to start, but at the beginning? I’m genuinely (nerdy) excited to share with you here, over time – thoughts about Yoga, Meditation, Mindfulness. Just thoughts in general, or about well-being, or health; however that looks each day, one step at a time.
Where else to start but with Breathing?
“If you can Breathe, you can do Yoga.”
(I’ve seen that phrase attributed to T. Krishnamacharya, though it gets echoed often, and I agree with it.)
You might not already practice specific Yoga postures, or Meditation techniques – or you might – or maybe you did before, but life got busy, as it does (we’ll talk about that.)
You might or might not think about what it means to bring ideas of non-harming, contentment, honesty and other Yogic philosophy into your lifestyle, exercise or practice (we’ll talk about that, too 🙂 )
So why not start with the Yoga practice you already do, hundreds of times a day, without even thinking about it?
Breathing.
And as you Breathe, you Just Notice. You could jot down notes or thoughts afterwards if you wish or you know you like to write, but start with Just Noticing.
Notice how your breath is on auto-pilot, but also how you can be conscious of it, and even gently shift it (for example, you could make your breath in or out longer or shorter, depending on what’s comfortable).
Notice what happens to your breath naturally – do you breathe mostly into your chest (upper, middle, lower)? Ribs? Belly? Somewhere else or a combination? When you breathe in, does your chest go in or out (or otherwise)? How about your belly? When you breathe out, what happens? Is there a natural pause at the top or bottom of the breath, or do they flow right into the next? We’ll talk about this too, but for now, Just Notice, without having to judge or change anything (unless it’s to allow it to feel more comfortable which sometimes the body and mind naturally do).
As you’re noticing your breath, where in your body do you feel movement, or tension?
As you’re noticing your breath, is your awareness pulled to thoughts or feelings? To-do lists, or rehashing the day? Do mental judgments and commentary rush in? That’s ok, just notice… and observe how you can gently bring your awareness back to your breath as you’re ready; observe how everything else can pass through. You could notice if this practice has any effects (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually) but we practice without any specific outcome in mind. That way we can practice letting things unfold as they will, without trying to force or shape the outcome.
There are No Wrong Answers to any of these questions.
When you feel like you’ve practiced in the moment, you could then try to notice throughout the day:
What is your breath like and what’s going on in your body and mind at that moment?
You can Allow this to be an Exploration – again, No Wrong Answers.
How do you breathe when you feel relaxed? How do you breathe when you experience stress, even light stress? What happens to your breath when you hit traffic, or somebody cuts you off on the road, or you get in the “slow line” at the grocery store? What happens when something unexpected comes up at home, work, school? What happens to your breath and body when you laugh, or smile at something? What happens if you feel sleepy or drowsy? How do you breathe when you are exercising? How often during the day do you find yourself accidentally holding your breath? What happened in your breathing, body, and mind if you even just imagined those situations while reading?
There are multiple different breathing techniques. For now, you can just let noticing your breath be your practice.
To Practice On Your Own: You could do any aspect of this practice whenever you wish and have a moment. Maybe even set a timer on your phone – 1 minute, 5 minutes, 30 seconds – No wrong amount of time. And try that, as above. Try noticing, breathing, and letting your breath be the anchor for your awareness – like a touchstone you can come back to whenever your awareness shifts (which is perfectly normal, especially in our busy lives).
Believe it or not – anytime you do that practice, Breathing and Noticing, you are already practicing meditation, and you are practicing mindfulness. What we practice rewires our brain (like when we learn any new skill).
Practicing with the breath helps to practice our noticing and awareness. That makes it easier for us to start to notice other things more mindfully, like what is the most helpful or nourishing choice as you navigate the day (but we’ll talk more about that).
For now, why not start at the beginning? Start with that Nice, Easy, Natural Breath.
Thank you, for reading and for taking some time for You. Be Well
Want to share? See the social media buttons at the bottom.
If you wish to contact Alyson Rhodes, You can also go here
Want to stay updated?
Practicing my Breathing and Noticing.
(Eyes open or closed is your option! You can notice what is most comfortable for you)
