Conscious Breathing
The practice of Conscious breath-work, or Pranayama, is a powerful one indeed.
It immediately affects the physical body, the mental state and the emotional body.
It can regulate the body's systems, reduce stress, relieve anxiety, aid the healing of certain illnesses and so much more.
It is a direct channel to tune into the inner world of the self.
When you really pay attention to your breath, appreciating it for what it is and does for you, you begin to become still.
Stillness is what opens the gates to your divine essence
It allows you to feel your higher self, breathe into it and experience the connection between your physical body and your divine energy.
This connection is always present, we are energy, and light... manifested into physical matter. We cannot sever this connection.
The breath of our bodies is the same as that of the breath of the universe... as if we are not breathing, but are instead being breathed by the universe.
We can however, become so consumed by daily life, with all the stresses and pressure attached to it, that we begin to block our ability to feel it.
Conscious breath-work immediately begins to clear that fog and allows us, like Ho'oponopono and Yoga, to realise the ultimate truth of who we are.
This is something that is particularly difficult to explain using words, which seem to limit the expressed feeling.
It is something one must feel and so then experience.
The eight stages of reaching self-actualisation:
It is recognised within many ancient religions and philosophies that there are eight steps on the path to enlightenment
1. Yamas - Ethics (pure thoughts)
2. Niyama - Virtuous behaviours (pure deeds)
3. Asanas - Physical poses (Yoga)
4. Pranayama - Breath (Conscious breathing)
5. Pratyahara - Awareness (of the inner self)
6. Dharana - Concentration (Stillness of the self)
7. Dhyana - Reflection (Meditation)
8. Samadhi - Union (being the super-conscious)
These are not necessarily a rigid order of steps to follow
They form more of a are dynamic map, with all stages inter-connected and leading to and from the others.
As the human experience has it here on earth, certain points are more easily reached before others due to the varying levels of ability amongst all people.
And that is just how it is.
So, depending on your physical and emotional predispositions, somatic ability and breathing capacity, Soulful Connections Sessions can find suitable exercises for you to perform that can give you a starting point on the map of self-actualisation, or open the doors to another phase.
Wherever you are on your journey, you can start or continue with Soulful Connections sessions.
There are many Pranayama practices
There is a range of different Conscious Breath-work exercises one can perform.
Each is designed to have a different effect on the body, all designed to open the body up to the divine.
Bhastrika for example, is a fast paced exercise where the breath is forced in and out of the abdominal area like the bellows on a fire. It is designed to heat the body and fire up the emotions in order to burn toxins and stimulate the entire flow throughout the body.
Ujjayi breathing (Ocean breath) is slow breathing with a slight throat constriction so as to resemble the rushing sound of the ocean. This exercise promotes a healthy respiratory system, aids relaxation and focus of the mind, and regulates the warmth of the body.
Self Care whilst Practicing
The power and effect of these practices means care must be taken not to over-exert or practice an exercise beyond one's capabilities.
If any feelings of light-headedness occur, the practice needs to be slowly reduced and then ceased.
Learning the foundations of Conscious Breathing is essential to understanding how the breath works and where you are directing it's force within your body.
Having this knowledge greatly decreases the risk of over-exertion.
"...breathing isn't just about taking in air - it's a powerful tool for your body and mind"
- Michael Bijker - Founder of YogaLap -
My experience with Pranayama...
There are so many conscious breathing exercises being practiced today.
Wim Hoff has gained considerable recognition in the field, and for those people wanting to experiences the extremes of conscious breathing, his techniques are extremely valuable. My teenage son really benefits from his practices.
I personally gain better results with the more gentle exercises, working on a more subtle level.
I have come to discover that the softer approach suits my Pitta constitution (my dominant Ayurvedic dosha).
As this predisposition causes me to overheat, too many conscious breathing exercises that stimulate or fire-up the body don't suit me, although I certainly have performed such exercises in the past with great results, and do so with clients so as to effectively teach the techniques.
Michael Bijker
My favourite Pranayama worker is Michael Bijker, founder of YogaLap.
Prior to discovering Michael's online sessions, I had never really done much conscious breath-work, apart from the necessary focusing on and slowing down of the breath during meditations.
After practicing Michael's Pranayama exercises regularly over the past five years, I now use my breath to prepare for meditation in such a way that I am able to go deeper within, I am able to effectively cool my body when I overheat, and I have the ability to quickly regulate my nervous system when I am stressed.
