One-Minute Practice: Breathe with Ease

Bring your breath into your awareness. Notice your breathing pattern. Do your ribs move? Or do they feel constricted? Are you breathing through your nose or mouth? What does it feel like in your chest? Your back? Your belly? Your jaw?

Now, as you slowly blow out through your mouth, exhale gently until you feel you’ve reached the natural end of your exhalation. As you do this, allow let your neck to be free of tension and your head to float upwards. Simply let the breath to return in through your nose. Just alllow the rebound of the breath fill you up—you don’t have to do anything to pull it in.

On your next exhale, blow again gently out through your mouth, extending the exhale to it’s end without pushing. Then allow the in-breath to rebound. Repeat another time or two, extending your exhale gently and noticing that your inhale may become fuller.

As you breathe, allow your ribs to move easily in a three-dimensional way—to the front, the back and the sides. Your ribs expand in your back as well as in the front. They also move to the sides, all the way up to the underarm. Allow your back and sides to be included in the rib mobility. Feel the support that gives your torso to balance easily.

Now breathe normally and notice your sensations again. Can you feel your breath moving through your torso? What do you notice in your jaw and neck? Your face? Do you notice any difference in your overall state of being? If you’re like me, you probably feel lighter, more integrated, and more connected to Self. You can do this simple practice anywhere, anytime.