Do You Practice Conscious Breathing?

. . . I know, we don’t usually “think” about breathing – we just do it automatically. That’s actually my point. We typically inhale and exhale as needed, it doesn’t require much consciousness.

An essential element of healthy energy flow is the practice of conscious breathing. We all know that we inhale needed oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Our breathing also facilitates the flow of essential life energy to our systems. As we exhale, we emit carbon dioxide, toxins and displaced energy. Our inhale takes in oxygen and life energy. Since we are often unaware of our breathing pattern, we pass up the opportunity to adequately supply our system with essential life energy through “unconscious”, shallow breathing.

As you read this, try some conscious breathing. Begin by exhaling from your mouth, fully, from the area just beneath your navel; the hara. Now, inhale deeply through your nose, feeling the energy move down to your hara and be conscious of the area “filling up” with energy. As you exhale this time, feel the energy rise from your hara, moving through your internal organs, down your arms and out your hands, as well as out your mouth. It may take a few times to feel the energy as I describe it, but your system will feel the difference.

This conscious breathing pattern enables you to take in more life energy with the oxygen, to benefit your internal organs and supply your hara with greater strength. The hara is considered to be the seat of our energy, our center point, or point of balance. It is the reservoir for our life energy. Consequently, the more we practice conscious breathing, the greater our reservoir of life energy and capacity to focus and ground ourselves. We empower ourselves to be “present” and resist stress and imbalance.

Try it throughout your day . . . it can only help.