.png)
Today we breathe.
It’s all about Breath. Everything is about breath. Every single practice, every exercise, every meditation, every action we take. Needs breath. Our first natural instinct when coming into the world is to inhale.
When I was going through my pregnancy yoga and movement preparation, my teacher shared that an infant’s first breath triggers an entire awakening within the body. The lungs expand, a valve within the heart shuts so that the heart functions on its own, the mother's blood is blocked, hormones start production and flowing through their little body, which triggers every other system in the body to activate. This important breath is their first experience of independence in their own body. The first stage of separation begins with that very first breath. Even after all of the breath training and practice I’ve done throughout my life, this was the first time I truly integrated the beautiful wisdom in that. It is our first solo act of life. One that we just know how to do instinctively. The life that was growing inside of me would start his journey of separation, a true step of independence, with that first breath. His heart would take over, and he would sustain his own body. And that’s how it works for each one of us.
Take a moment to feel into that. Your breath is your life. The start of everything.
The moment you come into your body, and it is just you. You breathe. Without a thought – just pure being. Feel the wisdom of that. Imagine feeling those first sensations of breath. Air on your skin, a totally new experience. Flowing past the edges of your nostrils, flowing inward. The temperature as it first moves up the nose and then down the throat towards the lungs. The sensations of your rib cage and belly expanding to allow it in. What it feels like to receive this air. The natural relaxed body awareness of knowing exactly how much is enough. The micro moment between the in- and exhalation. And how it flows out. Fully and completely without needing to be forced or pushed. Your body knowing how to release it all, so instinctively, that the next inhalation naturally pulls the next breath in.
The unfortunate truth is that most people have forgotten how to do this simple thing. Forgotten how to breathe.
This dis-connect from body, along with the conditioned impulse to stay in your head energy, has you breathing quicker, lighter, and higher. Deep breathing provides a greater sense of mental clarity, helps your immune system, reduces stress levels, helps you sleep, and supports an efficient digestive system. Oxygen literally supports every system in the body. It helps you meditate. It brings you into your body – the start of feeling your inner loving life force. And it is never too late to learn. You can change it.
That is the basis for the following practice. Centering Breath practice: Set your timer for 15 minutes (with a soft alarm sound - be kind to yourself). Sit or lay down comfortably. You will reset the timer once. Take a full minute of really deep, slow breaths to expand your whole torso as much as possible. Fill yourself with air. Then let it go and allow your breath to become natural and non-forceful. Slow it down. Deepening it with every breath. Allowing your body to surrender to gravity. Observing the sensations of the inhalation and exhalation. Once you feel softer and heavier. Take a full minute of really deep, slow breaths to expand your whole torso as much as possible. Fill yourself with air, pulling in the absolute maximum amount of air. Then again coming back to a natural breath observing the sensations in and out until you feel softer and heavier. Repeat this until the first 15 minutes are up. Start the timer again for 15 minutes. Bring your hand to the lower belly and womb. Start breathing towards your hands. Slow and deep breath. Relax the jaw, pelvic floor, thighs, let the eyes become heavy. When you feel your breath in the lower belly. Continue breathing in and out through your nose. Fill your lower abdomen like a beach ball expanding on all four sides. Continue to inhale and fill the chest, armpits, and scapula. Imagine filling yourself with life force energy. Imagine a cauldron in your pelvic bowl. Exhale down your center to fill up your pelvic bowl till just below the navel. Continue slowly and gently. Imagining it filling up with life force energy. Once you’re done take 5 minutes to lay down and feel the sensations throughout the body. Then journal your experience. See you soon.
One love,
Juel
Juel helps women and non-binary queens re-connect with their inner source of power to create authentic and passionate lives. Creating transformational journeys back to essence.