Articles : 1 Meditation- 2 Relaxation- 3 Breathing
Article 1 - Steps to a successful Meditation Practice
Meditation is a state of total absorption within where a continuous flow of awareness is drawn to a
single point of attention and maintained.
Points to remember :
Regular time and place for meditation. Find time to meditate, Maintain a regular time. Your meditation place should be comfortable, quiet, warm, well ventilated and clean.
Preparation for meditation
Practice alternate nostril breathing technique until the breath is smooth and gentle and balanced via both nostrils.
The components of correct breathing are:
single point of attention and maintained.
Points to remember :
Regular time and place for meditation. Find time to meditate, Maintain a regular time. Your meditation place should be comfortable, quiet, warm, well ventilated and clean.
Preparation for meditation
- Keep the mind clear and remain positive.
- Work efficiently during the day and aim to keep the events from becoming stressful, avoiding conflicts that cannot be resolved and unnecessary worry.
- When possible allow three hours to elapse after having eaten and about half an hour after drinking liquids before sitting to meditate.
- If you find that the mind is busy it is best to spent a few minutes in relaxation before commencing meditation.
Practice alternate nostril breathing technique until the breath is smooth and gentle and balanced via both nostrils.
The components of correct breathing are:
- Diaphragmatic, smooth, gentle and natural – no jerks or irregularities
- Natural breathing – no pauses between inhalation and exhalations
- Breathing only through the nose and mouth closed
- Prior to meditation adjust the spine and body to make sure that there is no discomfort.
- Upon assuming your sitting pose, aim to remain relaxed and still as possible for the duration of your meditation practice.
- Keep the spine vertically relaxed and steady, with the head and neck easily balanced.
- If you are familiar with the yoga meditation Locks add Perineum, tongue and finger locks.
- Bring the attention to a place of focus such as the upper lip, forehead or heart.
- For easier focus imagine the breath flowing in and out via the chosen point.
- Via each breath imagine the sound of So-ham (hum) or another of choice moving up and down the spine
- Let the sound repeat itself
- Allow the mental noise to still itself
- Do not allow the mind to wander
- Be patient and enjoy this time of inner reflection
Article 2 - Relaxation for health
Relaxation is very beneficial for total health and well being as it calms the nervous systems.
Relaxation not only relaxes the muscles but more importantly re-calibrates brain
frequency from all the daily input, reducing stress and allowing oxygen absorption to be utilised far more effectively.
As the entire body unwinds physical and mental tension is released, the body can then easily improve detoxification whilst encourages repair and maintenance deep in the cellular levels.
Relaxation Technique
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Relaxation not only relaxes the muscles but more importantly re-calibrates brain
frequency from all the daily input, reducing stress and allowing oxygen absorption to be utilised far more effectively.
As the entire body unwinds physical and mental tension is released, the body can then easily improve detoxification whilst encourages repair and maintenance deep in the cellular levels.
Relaxation Technique
- Set an alarm for the desired duration of the exercise. Allow at least 20 minutes.
- Lie in a comfortable position with the eyes gently closed.
- Inhale and exhale through the nostrils slowly, smoothly, deeply.
- The breath should be easy and natural.
- There should be no noise, jerks, or pauses in the breath
- let the inhalations and exhalations flow naturally without exertion in one continuous movement.
- Aim to keep the body still as this will deepen the relaxation.
- Take a few deep, abdominal breath (inhale and exhale) as you travel through each part of the body.
- With each breath Exhale as though your whole body is exhaling, and inhale as though your whole body is inhaling.
- Mentally travel through the body and relax the top of the head, forehead, eyebrows, space between the eyebrows, eyes, eyelids, cheeks and nose.
- Relax the mouth, jaw, chine, neck, shoulders, upper arms, lower arms, wrists, hands, fingers and fingertips.
- Feel as if you are exhaling from the fingertips, up the arms, shoulders, and face to the nostril and inhaling
back to the fingertips. - Relax the fingertips, fingers, hands, wrists, lower arms, upper arms, shoulders, upper back, and chest.
- Relax the stomach, abdomen, lower back, hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles, feet and toes.
- Relax the toes, feet, ankles, calves, thighs, knees, hips, lower back and abdomen, stomach and chest.
- Relax the upper back, shoulder upper arms, lower arms, wrists, hands, fingers and fingertips
- Relax the fingertips, fingers, hands, wrists, lower arms, upper arms, shoulders, neck, chin, jaw, mouth and nostrils.
- Relax the cheeks, eyelids, eyes, eyebrows, space between the eyebrows, forehead and top of the head.
- Now, for 30 to 60 seconds let your mind be aware of the calm and serene flow of the breath.
- let your mind make a gentle, conscious effort to guide your breath so that it remains smooth and calm relaxing.
- When the relaxation has finished take a few deep breaths and slowly and gently open your eyes.
- Stretch the body. Aim to maintain this calm, peaceful feeling throughout the day.
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Article 3 - Breath Awareness
The lungs & the Diaphragm muscle
Breathing:
Air contains on average 21% oxygen, 68% nitrogen and the rest gases.
Breathing oxygenates the blood stream and releases spent gases.
Breathing assist in temperature regulation and the release of toxins.
Breath awareness and conscious breathing allows maximum oxygen absorption.
Breath awareness assist in controlling emotions and enhances positive thinking.
Air contains on average 21% oxygen, 68% nitrogen and the rest gases.
Breathing oxygenates the blood stream and releases spent gases.
Breathing assist in temperature regulation and the release of toxins.
Breath awareness and conscious breathing allows maximum oxygen absorption.
Breath awareness assist in controlling emotions and enhances positive thinking.
Diaphragmatic Breathing:
Diaphragmatic breathing has three important effects on the body:
Two patterns of breathing: Abdominal breathing gets its name from the forward movements of the lower abdominal wall and downward expansion of the lungs during inhalation; both of these occur as a result of the action of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is shaped like an upside down cup, whose rim attaches to the base of the rib cage. The cup becomes shallower during inhalation and deeper during exhalation.
In abdominal breathing, the chest remains still. In contrast, diaphragmatic breathing enlarges the chest from its base. We inhale diaphragmatically by doing three things at the same time – pulling the dome of the diaphragm down, holding moderate tension
in the abdominal wall, and providing enough stabilizing tension in the intercostal muscles of the chest wall to keep it from collapsing. The action of the diaphragm is then translated to the lower border of the rib cage, flaring the chest laterally.
The key feature of diaphragmatic breathing is that the abdominal organs provide a fulcrum for the diaphragm to lift and
expand the lower part of the rib cage. This will occur only if the abdominal wall cannot move out enough to accommodate the downward movement of the diaphragm. In a simple model, the abdominal cavity and its contents are like a water-filled balloon. If the lower abdomen is held in place either by muscular action, a backward-bending stretch, or a posture such as the cobra in which the abdomen is against the floor, the muscular contraction of the diaphragm expands the rib cage from its base and lifts it laterally and forward, along with the upper abdominal wall.
The Complete Breath:
The complete breath requires exhaling as fully as possible, then inhaling to full diaphragmatic capacity and – while maintaining that abdominal expansion – expanding the chest fully, and then using the muscles of the clavicle (collar bone) and neck to raise the uppermost part of the chest. This combination of diaphragmatic, chest and “clavicular” breathing brings in the greatest possible volume of air.
After inhaling, without creating a pause, exhale in the same sequence as the inhalation – from the bottom up – with the diaphragm
releasing first, pushing in the abdominal muscles to squeeze out every bit of air possible, followed by the chest, and the upper chest. The total volume of air exhaled after a maximum inhalation and a complete exhalation is your vital capacity.
Another way of doing this practice is to exhale in reverse order, releasing the upper chest, the chest, and finally the diaphragm.
At Dharma during breathing exercises we suggest exhaling from the abdomen first to maximize the expulsion of as much spent air as possible.
Breathing Technique:
2 to 1 Breath-
To improve the health of the lungs and the internal organs we suggest practising 2 to 1 Breathing exercise. Observe the in and out
flow of breath making sure that the entire lungs are being used, the breath is rhythmical and without any pauses
Remember! Muscles need oxygen to operate
Diaphragmatic breathing has three important effects on the body:
- In diaphragmatic breathing, unlike shallow breathing, the lungs fill completely, providing the body with sufficient oxygen.
- Diaphragmatic breathing forces the waste product of the respiratory process, carbon dioxide, from the lungs. When breathing shallowly some carbon dioxide may remain trapped in the lungs, causing fatigue and nervousness.
- The up and down motion of the diaphragm gently massages the abdominal organs; this increases circulation to these organs and thus aids in their functioning.
Two patterns of breathing: Abdominal breathing gets its name from the forward movements of the lower abdominal wall and downward expansion of the lungs during inhalation; both of these occur as a result of the action of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is shaped like an upside down cup, whose rim attaches to the base of the rib cage. The cup becomes shallower during inhalation and deeper during exhalation.
In abdominal breathing, the chest remains still. In contrast, diaphragmatic breathing enlarges the chest from its base. We inhale diaphragmatically by doing three things at the same time – pulling the dome of the diaphragm down, holding moderate tension
in the abdominal wall, and providing enough stabilizing tension in the intercostal muscles of the chest wall to keep it from collapsing. The action of the diaphragm is then translated to the lower border of the rib cage, flaring the chest laterally.
The key feature of diaphragmatic breathing is that the abdominal organs provide a fulcrum for the diaphragm to lift and
expand the lower part of the rib cage. This will occur only if the abdominal wall cannot move out enough to accommodate the downward movement of the diaphragm. In a simple model, the abdominal cavity and its contents are like a water-filled balloon. If the lower abdomen is held in place either by muscular action, a backward-bending stretch, or a posture such as the cobra in which the abdomen is against the floor, the muscular contraction of the diaphragm expands the rib cage from its base and lifts it laterally and forward, along with the upper abdominal wall.
The Complete Breath:
The complete breath requires exhaling as fully as possible, then inhaling to full diaphragmatic capacity and – while maintaining that abdominal expansion – expanding the chest fully, and then using the muscles of the clavicle (collar bone) and neck to raise the uppermost part of the chest. This combination of diaphragmatic, chest and “clavicular” breathing brings in the greatest possible volume of air.
After inhaling, without creating a pause, exhale in the same sequence as the inhalation – from the bottom up – with the diaphragm
releasing first, pushing in the abdominal muscles to squeeze out every bit of air possible, followed by the chest, and the upper chest. The total volume of air exhaled after a maximum inhalation and a complete exhalation is your vital capacity.
Another way of doing this practice is to exhale in reverse order, releasing the upper chest, the chest, and finally the diaphragm.
At Dharma during breathing exercises we suggest exhaling from the abdomen first to maximize the expulsion of as much spent air as possible.
Breathing Technique:
2 to 1 Breath-
To improve the health of the lungs and the internal organs we suggest practising 2 to 1 Breathing exercise. Observe the in and out
flow of breath making sure that the entire lungs are being used, the breath is rhythmical and without any pauses
- Take a slow, full breath
- Allow the inhalation to expand both lungs fully
- When exhaling work to consciously exhale much more than the inhalation, aiming to eventually take twice as long
- Spend at least 5 -15 minutes on this technique to allow a greater release of carbon dioxide and more oxygen absorption.
Remember! Muscles need oxygen to operate
- Internal organs need fresh oxygen to repair and work efficiently!
- the spent breath must be evacuated from the lungs and body efficiently!
- For the mind to be accessed without limitation the brain needs oxygen to think!
"Jean-Alain has recorded meditation and relaxation CD's check them out in the shop section of the web page."
Enjoy life and Look forward to your practice, be joyful in life and always be aware of the moment!
Remember “Success is simply conscious clear focused thinking in action”
Enjoy life and Look forward to your practice, be joyful in life and always be aware of the moment!
Remember “Success is simply conscious clear focused thinking in action”
