Belly Breathing
To bring about fearlessness and contentment in daily life, an effective technique is lower-abdominal breathing, or ‘belly breathing.’ To practice belly breathing, sit in a comfortable meditative posture or lie down on your back. Place one hand just below the navel, and the other hand on the heart.
Empty the lungs completely, squeezing out any last drop of air by pressing with the muscles of the abdomen.
Inhaling, breathe to the hand that rests just below the navel. Watch as it rises with the in-breath. Once the hand has risen and the lower torso has filled with breath, pause. The chest shouldn’t rise at all, the hand resting on the heart remaining still.
Exhaling, allow the lungs to empty and watch as the hand on the belly moves closer to the spine. At the end of the exhalation, squeeze the abdominal muscles gently to empty the lungs completely. Again, the chest should remain still, it is only the belly the rises and falls with the tide of the breath.
This is belly breathing. It brings about supreme calm and serenity, even in the face of challenging situations. It is an excellent trick to relieve anxiety, and to soothe a restless mind in preparation for sleep or meditation.
Empty the lungs completely, squeezing out any last drop of air by pressing with the muscles of the abdomen.
Inhaling, breathe to the hand that rests just below the navel. Watch as it rises with the in-breath. Once the hand has risen and the lower torso has filled with breath, pause. The chest shouldn’t rise at all, the hand resting on the heart remaining still.
Exhaling, allow the lungs to empty and watch as the hand on the belly moves closer to the spine. At the end of the exhalation, squeeze the abdominal muscles gently to empty the lungs completely. Again, the chest should remain still, it is only the belly the rises and falls with the tide of the breath.
This is belly breathing. It brings about supreme calm and serenity, even in the face of challenging situations. It is an excellent trick to relieve anxiety, and to soothe a restless mind in preparation for sleep or meditation.