the Ocean breath
The power of the breath to connect your heart and your head
The power of the breath to connect your heart and your head
To begin, sit in a comfortable cross-legged position or in a chair. Lengthen your spine and feel the crown of your head extending up toward the sky. Relax your shoulders, close your eyes, and take a few moments to observe your breath.
Now inhale and place one hand three inches in front of your face with your palm facing you. Now, feel the muscles at the back of your throat constrict, and with your mouth open exhale onto your hand as if it is a mirror you are trying to fog, making a haaaa sound. Feel how the breath is slightly warm and moist.
Then imagine that you have a mirror behind your head (bring your palm to the back of your head, if this helps). As you inhale through an open mouth, imagine fogging the mirror behind you, feeling the same constriction at the back of the throat as you did when you exhaled. This time the breath will sound more like ahhhh.
Once you have successfully created the sound in the throat, it is time to transfer the breath into the nostrils. Retain the same feeling of fogging the mirror, but close your mouth and breathe in and out through your nose.
Without forcing the breath, pay attention to its sounds. Feel the back of your throat narrowing as you breathe in and out. Close your eyes if you like. Keep your focus on the breath. Feel it slow down and deepen. Feel the ebb and flow. Let yourself be fully present. Just listen.
To end this session, return to normal breathing while keeping your eyes closed. When you feel ready, open your eyes. As you practice the Ocean breath this month ask yourself:
Now inhale and place one hand three inches in front of your face with your palm facing you. Now, feel the muscles at the back of your throat constrict, and with your mouth open exhale onto your hand as if it is a mirror you are trying to fog, making a haaaa sound. Feel how the breath is slightly warm and moist.
Then imagine that you have a mirror behind your head (bring your palm to the back of your head, if this helps). As you inhale through an open mouth, imagine fogging the mirror behind you, feeling the same constriction at the back of the throat as you did when you exhaled. This time the breath will sound more like ahhhh.
Once you have successfully created the sound in the throat, it is time to transfer the breath into the nostrils. Retain the same feeling of fogging the mirror, but close your mouth and breathe in and out through your nose.
Without forcing the breath, pay attention to its sounds. Feel the back of your throat narrowing as you breathe in and out. Close your eyes if you like. Keep your focus on the breath. Feel it slow down and deepen. Feel the ebb and flow. Let yourself be fully present. Just listen.
To end this session, return to normal breathing while keeping your eyes closed. When you feel ready, open your eyes. As you practice the Ocean breath this month ask yourself:
What does it feel like to listen to yourself more closely?
Can you feel your head and heart connecting in the space you are creating with your breath?
What limiting beliefs and judgments do you feel washing away?
Practice the Ocean breath everyday for a few weeks and notice what you hear when you listen to nuances of your own breath. 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.
Want support in developing your breathing practice? Join me for my monthly breathing circle on Zoom to share what you experience with each breath.
Namaste.
“The light in me bows to the light in you.”
“The light in me bows to the light in you.”