Breathe

My good friend, Dorothy Ann Coyne, teaches mindfulness meditation. She has developed the acronym BRFWA. She says it does not spell anything but it provides us with a working summary that helps us be more mindful. It stands for breathe, relax, feel, watch, and allow. We will look one of these elements each week for the next five weeks.

Dorothy Ann says, “Know if you are taking in a long breath, know if you are taking in a short breath, know if you are letting out a long/short breath. Return to this breath awareness at any moment in life that gets tough.”

Andrew Weil suggests the following three breathing exercises:

Bellows Breath (Stimulating Breath)
• Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Your breaths in and out should be equal in duration, but as short as possible. This is a noisy breathing exercise.
• Try for three in-and-out breath cycles per second. This produces a quick movement of the diaphragm, suggesting a bellows. Breathe normally after each cycle.
• Do not do for more than 15 seconds on your first try. Each time you practice the Stimulating Breath, you can increase your time by five seconds or so, until you reach a full minute.

4-7-8 Breath (Relaxing Breath)
• Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
• Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
• Hold your breath for a count of seven.
• Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
• This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Dr. Weil suggests you practice this one twice a day, but to limit to four breaths at one time for the first month. Click here for a video demonstration of the 4-7-8 breath.

Breath Counting
• To begin the exercise, count “one” to yourself as you exhale.
• The next time you exhale, count “two,” and so on up to “five.”
• Then begin a new cycle, counting “one” on the next exhalation.

Only count the exhales, and to not count higher than “five.” You will know your attention has wandered when you find yourself up to “eight,” “12,” even “19.” Click here for a video demonstration of breath counting.

This week, notice your breathing. You can survive 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, but only 3 minutes without air. Breathe your way to greater well-being.

Tips from 5 April 2010 to 6 August 2012 are here: Archived Tips

Rev. Debra Basham Voice or text: (269) 921-2217 Email: debra@scs-matters.com https://scs-matters.com http://ImagineHealing.info http://SurgicalSupport.info Small Changes … Infinite Results™ “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ~ Mother Teresa