Deepening Connection to Spirit

One Breath at a Time

At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it. ~ Thich Nhat Hahn

If you're like me, you're continually seeking ways to deepen your connection to Spirit. In these tumultuous times, it seems that a deep connection to Spirit and the wisdom that it offers is vital if we are to leave a planet for our children, grandchildren and other sentient beings that is fit to live upon.

Deepening one's connection to Spirit can be as simple as sitting or lying quietly and feeling the body breathe. Awareness of the body breathing can help to calm the mind and allow the "fight or flight" impulse to lessen, and move you into "rest, digest and healing." 

In Latin, the word for breath is "spiritus." "Spirit" derives from "spiritus," and can mean "the immaterial intelligent or sentient part of a person." Inspiration, the quality or state of being inspired, is related to this. The Sanskrit term "Prana" means "life force energy" (also known as "chi" or "ki"). We take prana in each time we breathe in. So putting these together, each time you breathe in, you are breathing in inspiration, wisdom and life force energy. 

Breathing mindfully and with awareness can help to deepen the connection to inspiration, wisdom and life force energy, with positive effects.

• Relaxing the body
• Easing neck and shoulder tension
• Lowering blood pressure
• Improving heart rate variability, important for good heart health
• Reducing stress and burnout; boosting immune function
• More restful sleep
• Relieving pain
• Calming the mind and reducing anxiety and/or depression
• Greater mental clarity
• Toning and strengthening the deep core
• Increasing energy​

The ancient yogis have said that a person's lifespan is measured in number of breaths, not time.  The fewer the breaths one takes, the longer the lifespan.  Modern research confirms this.  People with greater vital capacity (the amount of air that can be expelled out of the lungs after a deep inhale) have a greater life expectancy. See here for tips on how to keep your lungs healthy. 

Try the following breath practices (pranayama) to deepen awareness, calm a busy mind and relax a tense or tight body.
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Breath Awareness, Lengthening the Exhale to Calm the Mind

• Sit with your sitz bones back and spine tall, or lie down on a comfortable flat surface. Notice your thoughts. Does your mind feel busy and active or relatively quiet?  Begin to notice the sensation of your breath moving into your body.
• Place one hand on your belly and the other on your upper chest. Without trying to change it, begin to notice where the breath flows naturally, whether into the chest or belly. This is your normal breath pattern.
• Now take a slightly deeper breath in through the nose, without forcing. Notice what part of your body feels tight or restricted when you breathe.
• Begin to invite the breath in a little more deeply, still without forcing. Take several breaths this way.
• With your hand on your belly, inhale down into your belly so your hand rises.  When you exhale, feel your hand drop down as your belly moves toward your spine. Take several breaths this way. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, return to your normal breath.
• Begin to lengthen the exhale so it's a little longer than your inhale. Notice any sensations, thoughts, feelings as you breathe in and out and your belly rises and falls.  
• Notice how your body feels. Notice how your mind feels.  

Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana) to Calm the Mind and Balance the Nervous System​

• Sit or lie in a comfortable position with the spine long. Close your eyes.
• Relax the top of your chest, your throat, tongue and eyes. Soften and relax the jaw, and allow your teeth to part slightly.
• Bring your right hand up to your nose, and cup the right elbow in your left hand for support.*
• Place the thumb on the right nostril where the bone ends and your ring and pinky fingers on the left nostril. Index and middle fingers are gently between the eyebrows at the third-eye centre.
• Inhale; exhale. Close your right nostril lightly with your thumb and inhale through the left nostril. Close the left nostril with ring and pinky fingers and exhale right. Inhale right. Close the right nostril with thumb and exhale left. This is one round.
• Continue this pattern, in left, out right, in right, out left, for several minutes or as long as you feel comfortable.
• When you feel ready, take three full breaths in, exhaling all the air from the belly.
• Open your eyes when you feel ready.
• Notice how your body feels. Notice how your mind feels.

*This practice can be done by visualizing the breath moving through the nostrils, without using the hands.
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You can start with just one breath - your next one. Feel the breath as it flows in through your nostrils, down the back of your throat, and expands your ribs and belly. Feel the breath release as you exhale, warmer air flowing out the back of your throat and through your nostrils. Sense energy flowing into your body as you inhale. Consciously soften your body and relax slightly as you exhale. As you breathe quietly in and out, begin to sense a deeper connection to the Earth and all of its inhabitants. Every living, breathing, sentient being.

As with any practice, the more you practise, the more natural it feels. The breath is the window into the body and mind, and as we change the breath it can have powerful and positive effects. Go slowly, practise mindfully, and always come back to a normal breath pattern if you notice any changes that make you anxious or dizzy or produce other effects that don't feel safe. Be gentle with yourself.

To explore these or any other practices further, reply to this email or set up a complimentary 15-minute consultation with me here.

May your breath be soft and your life full of joy and meaning. May our deeper awareness bring healing to ourselves, our loved ones, and the Earth.