Life has a way of robbing us of our natural and organic breath. The stress and speed of our busy world can leave us tight and tough and breathless. Over time, we get so used to half-breathing that we don’t even recognize how far we’ve strayed from wholeness and ease. As the poet Mary Oliver asks us, “Are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?”
This 16-minute practice - first recorded for my long-ago CD Mindful Breathing - offers one more survival strategy to help steady frazzled nerves and calm the nervous system. In this practice, we use the breath to ground and soothe us, bringing us right back down to earth. We gently recover our natural exhalation, letting it grow just as long and steady as it needs to be in order to bring relief. This breathing pattern typically calms and quiets the nervous system. Just a few moments of long, smooth exhalations can, quite literally, change our minds.
This session is guided from a belly-down position, which can help foster a long and steady exhalation. If lying prone isn’t your cup of tea, feel free to rest belly up, or to sit in a chair, or even to climb into bed. As always, if any suggestions cause unrest or feel inappropriate, then skip them altogether or modify the practice in any way that brings a smile to your face.
The Calming Breath