A Short Breath Awareness Practice

That Can Dramatically Improve your Life

“My life has been a series of wonderful experiences. It’s a pity I wasn’t there for most of them.”
-Portia Nelson

When we are not mindfully present, we miss out on the experiences that give life meaning. The mind likes to do its own thing. It often flies away from us like an untrained puppy. In lack of a conscious mind, the subconscious takes over. The subconscious mind is the basement where memories, experiences, emotions, and repetitive thought and behavior patterns are stored. It works like a charm, and often partner up with our physical body. Well trained, the body and the mind perform acts, duties, and behaviors that we don’t even have to think about. We have done them with such frequencies, that they do it all on their own, while we are somewhere else.

Somewhere else means that while our thoughts are roaming, visiting yesterday, or dreaming about tomorrow, our selves go about business as usual. We drive the car, eat meals, smoke cigarettes, while our poor scattered mind is far away. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little effort, we can train the mind to become more compliant. We can train it to be clear, sharp, creative, and peaceful. It only takes a few minutes of daily practice.

Call it mindfulness, breath awareness, meditation, or focused awareness. Since meditation became mainstream in America, it has been called many names. Although meditation means different things to different people, the objective is the same. Enter the silence and allow the mind to focus on only one thing. When it runs away, which it will, we bring it gently back. We do this over and over and over. This is practice, and this teaches the mind to become more disciplined.

The bonus benefit of a short daily breath awareness practice is that we improve our cardiovascular health. Year after year, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the world. CVD is an umbrella, under which conditions of the heart and the blood vessels fit in. High blood sugars, High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and stress are a few risk factors for CVD. When the risk factors are not controlled, they can lead to a heart attack and a stroke. We don’t want that.

The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that meditation improves cardiovascular health. Taking a few minutes of daily practice will not only reduce our stress level and lower the heart rate and blood pressure, but it helps us develop a clear mind that is present when we make our choices about what to eat and what behaviors to engage in.

When we are present in our own life, we become the active chooser, instead of having the subconscious mind choose for us. We become aware of what matters and how we can become proactive in behaviors that are meaningful. There is nothing more important than becoming aware of how we want to show up and how we want to live our lives. Getting to the end with regrets from not creating the life we envisioned, is the saddest experience we can encounter.

Here is a short breath awareness practice that will help you move north and become more active in the making of a supportive, daily routine. Find a room where you can be undisturbed. You can sit on a chair with a straight back, a meditation bench, or a floor cushion. Be comfortable and be still and be where you are.

1. Sit in a position that is comfortable and steady with your head, neck, and back aligned. Sense the space around you. You may hear some sounds, just let them be and keep your awareness on your body. Gently close your eyes, relax your shoulders, and let your whole-body rest.

2. Note the rise and fall of your abdominal area, as you breathe in and breathe out. Breathe through your nose and let the breath be deep, smooth, and even. Breathe in and let the breath fill you with health and vitality. Breathe out and let the breath empty you of stress and fatigue. Let each breath run into the next and breathe as if your whole body is breathing.

3. Decide now that you will relax your body from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. Begin by bringing awareness to the crown of your head and release any muscle tension there. Mentally travel down through your body and release all stress or tension. Return, from your toes to the crown of your head and sense total relaxation, while the breath is flowing through your being.

4. Now, bring awareness to the point between your two nostrils and rest your attention there, while you become mindful of the breath flowing in and flowing out of your nose. Breathe in and breathe out and keep all your focus on your breath. Thoughts may come and ask for your attention. Give them no energy and continue to bring your focus back to the breath.

5. Allow your mind to rest in the breath and concentrate all your focus here. For the length of the inhalation think innn, and for the length of the exhalation, think ouuut. In and out, in and out. At this moment, in this silence, at this time, your breath awareness is all that matters. Keep your mind on the breath, flowing in and flowing out of your nose.

You may sit as long as you want. When you are ready to come out of the practice, slowly bring your awareness outward. Bring your hands to the face and open your eyes to the palm of your hands. Return the hands back on your lap. Feel the stillness and feel the serenity fill you. And bring that peace into your life. Namaste

🇳🇴Annelie Holmene Pelaez believes that everyone has an attribute to share with others. Promoting cardiovascular health and helping adults over age 65 is her contribution. When we don’t let age define us, but rather empower us to grow, we discover health and happiness are byproducts of who we are.

What are your unique attributes? Sign up to my website for free information that can help you become a Northbound Spry.

Annelie is the author of the book, Say Yes to A Better Life, available at Amazon.

Go to www.northboundspry.com. and sign up for free information that can help you move north.