the Furnace breath
The power of the breath to remove the hidden obstacles that prevent progress
The power of the breath to remove the hidden obstacles that prevent progress
Note*- Pregnant women should not do this breathing exercise.
To begin, sit in a comfortable cross-legged position or in a chair with your spine lengthened and tall. Let your hands rest on your knees, palms facing upward with the thumbs and first fingers of each hand touching.
Close your eyes and take a few slow, deep, natural breaths through your nose. Allow yourself to relax. Inhale and let your belly expand. Exhale and draw your belly in.
Now, more forcefully, keeping your mouth closed, inhale fully while pressing your belly out actively and then exhale by firmly contracting your abdominal muscles to draw your belly in toward your spine. Repeat this several times, slowly, and then gradually pick up the pace to find your own rhythm, pumping the abdomen in and out. Work up to 27 full breaths. One breath is comprised of an inhalation and an exhalation.
After 27 breaths, exhale completely, and then inhale fully and hold your breath for as long as is comfortable, dropping your chin toward your chest while feeling your belly and pelvic floor come in and up. Draw your awareness to the base of your spine and feel a ball of light, as powerful as a thousand suns, burning away any unconscious, harmful thoughts, and behaviors. As you next exhale, let your chin float back up and feel the light travel from the base of your spine out through the crown of your head, releasing these impulses to the Divine, where they will be dispersed.
Allow your eyes to remain closed, let your breath return to normal, and feel the clean, white, empty space inside, now free from all negative impulses. Enjoy the peace and freedom at the core of your being.
As you build your practice, you can add three more rounds, for a total of 108 breaths. In this technique the numbers 27 and 108 are significant because they are multiples of 9, which in yogic philosophy is considered the number of Truth.
To end this session, return to normal breathing now. Here are a few questions for your consideration as you continue to practice the Furnace breath this month:
Close your eyes and take a few slow, deep, natural breaths through your nose. Allow yourself to relax. Inhale and let your belly expand. Exhale and draw your belly in.
Now, more forcefully, keeping your mouth closed, inhale fully while pressing your belly out actively and then exhale by firmly contracting your abdominal muscles to draw your belly in toward your spine. Repeat this several times, slowly, and then gradually pick up the pace to find your own rhythm, pumping the abdomen in and out. Work up to 27 full breaths. One breath is comprised of an inhalation and an exhalation.
After 27 breaths, exhale completely, and then inhale fully and hold your breath for as long as is comfortable, dropping your chin toward your chest while feeling your belly and pelvic floor come in and up. Draw your awareness to the base of your spine and feel a ball of light, as powerful as a thousand suns, burning away any unconscious, harmful thoughts, and behaviors. As you next exhale, let your chin float back up and feel the light travel from the base of your spine out through the crown of your head, releasing these impulses to the Divine, where they will be dispersed.
Allow your eyes to remain closed, let your breath return to normal, and feel the clean, white, empty space inside, now free from all negative impulses. Enjoy the peace and freedom at the core of your being.
As you build your practice, you can add three more rounds, for a total of 108 breaths. In this technique the numbers 27 and 108 are significant because they are multiples of 9, which in yogic philosophy is considered the number of Truth.
To end this session, return to normal breathing now. Here are a few questions for your consideration as you continue to practice the Furnace breath this month:
What impulses have you noticed burning away as you practice the Furnace breath?
What other changes in your body/mind/spirit do you notice?
Practice the Furnace breath everyday for a few weeks to help you remove the hidden obstacles that may be preventing your progress. This breath will help you cleanse and purify your nasal passages, oxygenate your blood, and energize every cell in your body. You may find it helpful to keep a journal of what you feel like before, during and after each breathing session.
These breathing exercises are highlighted from the book Breathing Space by Katrina Repka and Alan Finger. They are gentle and safe, but please check in with yourself and follow your own intuition before doing them.
Want support in developing your breathing practice? Join me for my monthly breathing circle on Zoom to share what you experience with each breath and receive insights around each topic.
Want support in developing your breathing practice? Join me for my monthly breathing circle on Zoom to share what you experience with each breath and receive insights around each topic.
Namaste.
“The light in me bows to the light in you.”
“The light in me bows to the light in you.”