It is a TGIF day and I have a day off from work because I had to use up my floating holiday before the end of the year. Nice problems to have. This is a great time for taking breaks from the regular routines of work and go, go, go. When I lived in Oregon I use to go to a hot springs up in Columbia River Gorge Area and soak in a hot bath and them get a massage. The holiday season can be a time where you really take a break and allow the body and mind to relax and recover from a busy year.
Has 2008 been a busy year for you? Is there some built up tension or tiredness from all you have been up to? Maybe it is time to break the stress cycle and relax, get a massage or other body work, have a juice fast, soak in a hot tub, go for relaxing walks in the forest, sit by a fire and read a good book, and step away from the routines of life. You deserve to be treated nicely and you are the best person to make that happen. You know what you need, so go do it.
The simplest and one of the best forms of relaxation and taking a break can be done now or anytime and most anywhere. That is the practice of breathing with awareness. As I write this blog today, I consciously breathe and let the calmness of this practice flow through my body and my writing. Following the breath with awareness goes like this:
Sit back comfortably in your chair and bring your awareness to the inhale and exhale of your breath. . . . . . . Feel the chest as it expands on the inhale. . . . . . . Notice the moment where you move from inhale to exhale and pause there. . . . . . . . Then allow the breath to flow out completely and feel the chest relax. . . . . . . . Notice again the moment between the exhale and inhale and pause there. . . . . . . . Then allow the healing energy of the breath in to fill your body. . . . . . . . Imagine this healing energy as source for bringing your body into balance and vibrant health. . . . . . . . Enjoy the expansion as you fill up with this life force. . . . . . . With you body full of air allow it to feel the soothing affect of the healing energy of oxygen as it fills your heart and mind with aliveness. . . . . . Pause again before your exhale and feel the joy of being alive. . . . . . Then exhale out as if you are letting go of all that needs to be released like tension, tightness, blocks, unexpressed emotions, old holding patterns, trauma and negativity. . . . . . . . The exhale it the perfect time to relax and let go of the past. . . . . . . Continue following the healing and releasing breath with awareness for at least five minutes and twenty minutes would be excellent. Basking in the soothing vibrations of this mini-spa practice of breathing with awareness.
You can do this at your work, your desk, while driving in traffic, in a meeting, waiting in a line at the bank, and basically anytime you remember to do so. The more you practice this the better you will get at feeling the affects and the more conscious you will be of yourself and the world around you. This practices slows you down and yet makes you more alert.
Each breath out can be a time of release and each breath in a time of renewal. Your breathing is a gift of life that keeps giving.
Have the best TGIF, enjoy your weekend, and feel the joy of breathing with awareness.