BREATH AWAKENING

A 14-day course offering daily breathing practices to help you awaken your full life potential, energise your being and bring more joy and passion into your life.

Discover the huge impact proper breathing can have on your life. Awaken Your Breath, Awaken to Life. Reduce stress and anxiety and improve your health and mental clarity simply by awakening your breathing.

“Breathwork is essential for our physical and mental well-being and when it is done mindfully it can boost energy, transform your life and relieve physical and emotional pain.” Nisarga

DAY 1

Observing the Breath

DESCRIPTION:

This practice focusses simply on observing your breath, bringing awareness to your inhalation and exhalation, noticing how the breath feels, its temperature, moisture, depth. Simply breathe through the nose, without effort or trying to force the breath. It is all about allowing the breath to flow naturally through your lungs, while keeping the diaphragm and belly relaxed. You can do this practice either sitting or lying down. Become the witness of your thoughts, feelings and sensations in the body. Observing the breath is a simple technique that allows you to become present to the moment and to cultivate acceptance for all that is happening in the here and now.

PRACTICE:

* Choose a sitting position or lay down. It is best to have your eyes closed.

* Breathe through your nose and simply notice and observe the different aspects of your breathing.

* Practise twice a day for 10 minutes

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and again in the evening, at the latest an hour before going to bed.

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DAY 2:

Therapeutic Breath

DESCRIPTION:

You might have experienced times in your life when you have difficulty to quiet down your "monkey mind" and switch to a state of sustained calmness. Perhaps there are moments when you are over-thinking and analysing and you are getting too attached to your thoughts? This practice offers a quick fix to calm down your mind. Slowing down your breathing changes signals in the brain that cause it to be aroused. There are so many ways to calm yourself down through breathing. Whenever you feel panicky, stressed or anxious, try to change your breathing patterns by practising Therapeutic Breath. This will help to keep your mind off distracting thoughts and feelings. Really remember this simple technique and use it even in traffic or before an important meeting!

PRACTICE:

* Choose a sitting or standing position.

* Keep your eyes closed to begin with. Once you have mastered the length of breath you can also keep the eyes open.

* Take about 6 breaths a minute, inhaling for 5 seconds, and exhaling for 5 seconds.

* Stay relaxed and focus on the pauses in between breaths, breathing through the nose.

* In the beginning, you might want to use a watch to pace your breathing, but soon you will find an easy and intuitive rhythm.

* Practise twice a day for 10 minutes

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and again in the evening, at the latest an hour before going to bed.

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DAY 3:

Harmonising Breath

DESCRIPTION:

The Harmonising Breath practice is also known as ‘cube breathing’ as each stage of the breathing is equally long. By aligning the length of time of the inhalation and exhalation we cultivate a perfect harmony of body, mind and spirit. This technique is very powerful in stressful situations and can be practised on a daily basis, making this particularly suitable for anyone facing high demands in their work and/or private lives.

PRACTICE:

* Choose a sitting or standing position. It is best to keep your eyes closed.

* Inhale for 4 seconds, hold on the in-breath for 4 seconds, then exhale for 4 seconds, and hold on the out-breath for 4 seconds. Breathe through the nose.

* Practise twice a day for 10 minutes

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and again in the afternoon.

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DAY 4:

Grounding Breath

DESCRIPTION:

The Grounding Breath practice is also known as Piko-Piko breathing. It comes from an ancient Hawaiian shamanic practice that uses the power of breath in combination with nature. The Hawaiian word ‘Piko' describes two energy points in the body, on the top of the head and the belly button. This technique connects these two energy points.

PRACTICE:

* In a standing position, keep your eyes closed and breathe through your mouth.

* While breathing in, visualise how you are drawing energy from the sun and from the center of the universe into the crown chakra and then, while breathing out, send this energy down through the body and the belly button and further down towards the core of the earth. Then reverse the direction of the energy flow - drawing energy from the earth to the belly button on inhalation and sending it out through the crown chakra on exhalation. This circulation of the breath activates all energy points in the body on the way, opening the central energy channel.

*Practise twice a day for 10 minutes

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and again in the evening, at the latest an hour before going to bed.

* If possible, practice in nature (in a park, forest or river), standing with bare feet on the ground to feel the connection with the earth.

* At the end of the practice, you can imagine standing in a pool of crystal-clear water or bright light showering through your body, cleansing and purifying your whole being.

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DAY 5:

Heart Breath

DESCRIPTION:

This practice is a meditation developed by Atisha, a Tantra master from Tibet. It is the quintessence of all Tantric meditations, working with the heart which transforms everything into love. It is based on the principle that our heart is the emperor organ in our body, capable of purifying, transcending and transforming our emotions and feelings from a state of anxiety, stress or fear into a state of love, compassion and peace. The effects of this practice may be felt as an experience of expansion of the heart’s electromagnetic field, which can radiate outwards several feet from the heart’s center. There is a spiritual saying that goes "The greatest journey of your life is 12 inches, going from the head to your heart". So let us try to come back to the healing power of the heart. In the spiritual realms all feelings are welcomed and embraced to give us an indication of what is present in our life at any point. Being born into this world exposes us to many different experiences which can be traumatic or challenging at times. With this Heart Breath practice, we bring awareness to all our experiences with an intention of love and compassion towards ourselves and others, allowing us to forgive and make peace with the past.

PRACTICE:

* Sit in a comfortable position with a straight back. Bring your awareness to your heart chakra.

* You can either breathe through the nose or the mouth. Your breath should be deep enough so that your diaphragm is engaged. Keep the belly relaxed.

* Inhalation and exhalation should take about 4 seconds each.

* On the inhalation, imagine breathing your own pain, sorrow and sadness into the heart, and on the exhalation, breathe out love, compassion and gratitude for yourself from the same place. Let the heart purify and cleanse anything that needs transformation in its own way.

* At the end of the practice you can put your hands on your heart with an intention of gratitude, love and compassion.

* Practise twice a day for 10 minutes

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and again in the evening, at the latest an hour before going to bed.

• To expand even further, you can also direct this practice towards your family and friends, animals, nature and earth; breathing in their suffering, pain and sorrow and breathing out love, compassion and peace towards them.

DAY 6:

Tantric Breath

DESCRIPTION:

Tantra is a spiritual path with its origins in India. The practice of tantra teaches us to go beyond the illusion of separation created by our egos and thereby offers a direct and fast track to enlightenment. Tantric practices aim to awaken us by helping us shed the layers of our conditioning so we can be more pure and show our true selves, from a place beyond the ego. Nothing is higher, nothing is lower. All is equal and tantra teaches us to embrace all aspects of the human experience. In this practice, we focus on breathing into the two major energy centers of the body: the first chakra which connects to SEX and the fourth chakra which connects to LOVE. While breathing through the mouth, focus on the connection to those centers, allowing the energy to circulate, aligning and connecting love and sexuality in your being. Often in life we are either connected to our heart or driven by our sexuality. Merging them is Tantra, the path of becoming one with the universe.

PRACTICE:

* In a standing position, keep your eyes closed and breathe through your mouth.

* Inhale deeply into the heart, then draw the energy down from the heart to the sex center and exhale from the sex center, creating an energetic loop between love and sex.

* After 5 min reverse direction of the cycle.

* Practise twice a day for 10 minutes

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and again in the evening, at the latest an hour before going to bed.

• This practice can be done with a partner using synchronised breathing.

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DAY 7:

Breathe & Shake

DESCRIPTION:

Shaking is one of the world's most ancient healing techniques. Many indigenous cultures have used shaking for healing and to cultivate a connection with spirit. You too can gain tremendous benefits from this powerful practice to transform your health and life. Shaking is a form of active meditation using movement and focus to build up energy which eventually turns into shaking. The shaking creates internal heat which may express as sweating, emotional release, spontaneous movement and/or laughter. This practice activates all energy channels in the body, generating an inner fire that clears physical, energetic, emotional and mental blockages and connecting us to the Divine Life Force energy within us. This awakening of our dormant life force energy can activate strong healing processes. Many people have reported recovering from life-threatening illnesses by trusting and surrendering to this energy practice. For others, this practice helps to shed blockages and attachments and brings abundant health, joy and an ever-deepening connection to their true Divine Self and their life purpose. We are created by energy and once we make the connection to this source energy we can transform our lives and heal ourselves.

PRACTICE:

* In a standing position, keep your eyes closed and breathe through your mouth.

* Keep your body relaxed, ground your feet into the earth, with knees slightly bent and a relaxed belly and face. Start to shake gently as if you are shaking a precious liquid within your body. While shaking continue to breathe through the mouth and allow the energy to move through your body.

* If possible, practise outside in nature where you can be supported by trees, water or sun.

* Practise twice a day for 10 minutes

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and again in the evening, at the latest an hour before going to bed.

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DAY 8:

Biodynamic Breath

DESCRIPTION:

Biodynamic Breath is designed to break through the many layers of body armoring, and thus releasing mental, emotional and physical tension from the body, mind and nervous system. As a result, this breathing technique may reduce and clear deeply imprinted primal, religious and cultural conditioning. Biodynamic Breath enables you to feel the full range of sensations and emotions available to a human being, while expanding your capacity to support and contain the free flow of life-force energy.

PRACTICE:

* In a standing position, keep your eyes closed.

* Before you start, bring awareness to your body and find a place of resource within, a part of your body where you feel most at ease and relaxed. While breathing, be aware of the sensations in your body and the place of resource, which will help you to stay present in case of any strong emotions coming to the surface while breathing.

* While breathing in and out through an open mouth, allow your body to be loose and relaxed. Allow the spine to move as if it was made or rubber, keeping it loose so that the energy can move through the central energy channel. The breath should be deep and vigorous, with no gap between inhalation and exhalation.

* After 10 minutes, lay down or sit for about 3-5 minutes, simply witnessing what is present for you right now.

* Practise twice a day for 10 minutes

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and again in the evening, at the latest an hour before going to bed.

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DAY 9:

Subtle Energy Breath

DESCRIPTION:

Do you sometimes struggle to sleep because your mind is overwhelmed by an endless stream of thoughts and worries? Wouldn’t it be great if you could switch off your mind just as easily as the bedside light? But sometimes we need a little help to transit into sleep mode. Take a minute to relax – releasing all tensions from your muscles. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. The Subtle Energy Breath practice will help you get into a more relaxed state by activating the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for the ‘rest and digest’ function in our body. This practice can save your day anytime you need a deeper state of relaxation.

PRACTICE:

* Choose a sitting position or lay down. Breathe through the nose.

* While breathing, focus on stillness, allowing the breath to flow gently through your nose without forcing anything. Simply let the breath fill you in a slow manner.

* Invite a state of inner peace and stillness while breathing in this subtle way. The breathing needs to be relaxed, not rushed. You are barely breathing, more creating space in and around yourself. If someone would observe you breathing this way it would look like hardly anything is happening.

* Practise twice a day for 10 minutes

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and again in the evening, at the latest an hour before going to bed.

• You may choose to play some soft meditative music and set up a gentle alarm sound to indicate the end of your breathing time.

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DAY 10:

Pranayama

DESCRIPTION:

This yogic breathing practice is called Nadi Shodhana in Sanskrit which literally translated means alternate nostril breathing. It is a form of yoga referred to as pranayama (control of breath or energy). To practise, place your thumb and middle finger over your left and right nostril alternately to cover them. The left nostril is associated with feminine, cooling, calming qualities and with the arts. The right nostril stands for masculine, rational qualities and the energy of fire. Breathing alternately through the right and left nostril has a harmonising effect on the right and left hemispheres of the brain, bringing more balance and peace to body and mind. Other benefits include the reduction of anxiety and stress, a lower heart rate and the purification of the body’s energy channels. The aim of this practice is for prana, or life force energy, to flow more easily. Pranayama practice is a great preparation for deeper meditation.

PRACTICE:

*Choose a comfortable sitting position on a blanket or pillow. Feel your sit-bones ground you as you lift ever so slightly from the crown of the head, creating length in the spine. Rest your left palm on your left knee, bring your right hand towards the nose.

*Using the right thumb, softly cover the right nostril, and inhale as slowly as you can through the left nostril, then cover it with your ring finger. Pause. Open and exhale slowly through the right nostril.

*Inhale slowly through the open right nostril, then cover it with the thumb. Pause. Exhale through the left nostril. Once your exhalation is complete, inhale through the open left nostril.

*Repeat this pattern five to ten times, and then release the right hand to the right knee, easing back into normal breathing.

*After you finish this practice, take a few minutes to rest before continuing with a yoga or meditation practice.

* Practise twice a day for 10 minutes.

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and later, when you need an afternoon pick-me-up.

• Pranayama can be added as an opening or closing to your yoga or meditation practice.

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DAY 11:

Manifesting Breath

DESCRIPTION:

This practice uses the power of the breath towards cultivating gratitude and manifestation. Imagine a time in your life when you had absolutely no desire to go to work or do anything really. Perhaps you felt lethargic, apathetic and frustrated and there was so much to do! Sounds familiar? When we’re tired and down, it can be difficult to remember what achievement and success feel like. Luckily, there are simple ways to change your physical state, and thus, your state of mind. This practice will tune you into a powerful vibration for your day and help you attract the people and situations to align you with your deepest longings and manifesting intentions.

PRACTICE:

* Find a quiet space and sit on a chair, with both feet on the ground. Drop your shoulders down and back, lift up the chest and lengthen your neck to hold your head high.

* Stretch your arms above your head on inhalation and bring them down on exhalation. Breathe through the nose vigorously, fully charging your body with breath and energy. Do this for 2 minutes.

* Come to stillness and allow the breath to flow naturally through the nose. Keep your eyes closed and imagine crystal-clear water flowing through your body. Place your hands over your heart. Feel its power and strength as you breathe into it. Stay here for 2 minutes.

* Gratitude: Bring to mind three things in your life that you feel really grateful for right now. They can be from your past, your present or your future. When you think of them, create as clear an image as possible, stepping into them through your mind. Continue to breathe naturally through the nose for 2 minutes.

* Celebration: While still breathing naturally through the nose, visualise and imagine three things you want to manifest and complete today. These can be activities that will move you towards manifesting your full potential. Think about the three outcomes or goals that you want the most. These are the things that will excite you once they’re complete. Now feel like they’re done. Celebrate that feeling of completion and victory, visualize how it will impact those around you. As with the Gratitude stage, go through each outcome one by one, fully experiencing the feeling of success. Continue for 2 minutes

• Launch into your day! Take a deep breath, stretch and get ready for the amazing day that is ahead of you!

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DAY 12:

Myofascial Unwinding Breath

DESCRIPTION:

Myofascial Unwinding is a term coined by John Barnes to describe a type of physical movement that comes from a higher intelligence which he often describes as a “feeling” (rather than a “thinking”) intelligence. Unwinding can take many forms, such as yoga moves, dancing, or stretching. The common theme is that the movement is intuitive and driven by this feeling intelligence. A good example of this natural type of unwinding is when you first wake up in the morning. Without putting much thought into it, your body goes through an intuitive flow of movements, including stretches, contractions, and releases. With unwinding we allow the movement to happen rather than us “doing” the movement. While practising unwinding, encourage yourself to stay present with your breath, breathing continuously through the mouth.

PRACTICE:

* It is best to practise in a standing position with eyes closed. If possible, choose a spot in nature with fresh air.

* Breathe through the mouth and relax your body.

* If you like you can play some soft, flowing, water-like music to help you with the unwinding movement. Keep on breathing deeply and continuously through the mouth.

* Practise twice a day for 10 minutes

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and again in the evening, at the latest an hour before going to bed.

• Consider setting up an alarm to alert you when the time is over. This kind of movement may feel so good that you might need a reminder to stop and get on with the rest of your day ☺

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DAY 13:

Diaphragmatic Breath

DESCRIPTION:

The diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle attached to the base of the lungs, plays an important role in breathing — though you may not be aware of it. When you inhale, your diaphragm contracts (tightens) and moves downwards. This creates more space in your chest cavity, allowing the lungs to expand. The intercostal muscles between your ribs are being stretched which also helps to expand the chest cavity for deeper breathing. The Diaphragmatic Breath practice helps our respiratory system to work most efficiently, stimulates the relaxation response, relieves pain, gently stretches and tones core muscles (including the pelvic floor) and improves posture.

PRACTICE:

* Sit comfortably, with your knees bent and your shoulders, neck, head and belly relaxed.

* Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage, on the belly.

* Breathe in slowly through your nose so that your stomach moves out against your hand. Feel your ribcage and abdominal region expand with the full diaphragmatic breath. Take deep breaths of approximately 4-second inhale and 4-second exhale. Feel the movement under your hands.

* Allow the breath to reach deeply down into the pelvis. While breathing, make sure to keep your belly totally relaxed, allowing the breath to expand your ribcage in all dimensions.

* Practise twice a day for 10 minutes

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and again in the evening, at the latest an hour before going to bed.

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DAY 14:

Chakra Breath

DESCRIPTION:

This active meditation practice uses deep, rapid breathing and body movement to open and bring awareness, vitality and balance to each of the seven chakras (energy centers) and into your life. The word chakra in Sanskrit means wheel of light. In short, the chakras are energy vortexes in the body that resonate with different life qualities. All chakras lie deep within, rather than on the surface of the body. The following “map” is used to indicate their approximate locations and basic associations:

1. Base chakra: the sex center, located in the lower pelvis, associated with the color red, the earth element, related to sexuality and grounding.

2. Sacral chakra: located just below the navel, associated with the color orange, the water element, related to emotional fluidity.

3. Solar plexus chakra: located above the navel and below the breastbone, associated with the color yellow, the fire element, related to power and vulnerability.

4. Heart chakra: located in the center of the chest, associated with the color green, the air element, related to love and compassion.

5. Throat chakra: located in the throat, associated with the color blue, the ether element, related to expression and creativity.

6. Third eye chakra: located between and slightly above the eyebrows, associated with the color violet, related to intuition and clairvoyance.

7. Crown chakra: located at the top of the head, associated with the color of white light, related to divinity, bliss, connection to the source.

PRACTICE:

* Stand with your feet a little apart, your body loose and relaxed.

* Breathe deeply and rapidly through an open mouth into the first chakra, with equal emphasis on inhalation and exhalation.

* Keep your attention on the pelvis, where the first chakra is located.

* Breathe in a comfortable rhythm and become aware of the feelings and sensations coming from the chakra.

* After 2 minutes move up to the next chakra, so that within 14 minutes you breathe through all 7 centers, moving from the 1st to the 7th chakra.

* After finishing the sequence, relax and sit in silence. Remain a witness to whatever is happening within.

* Practice twice a day for 15 minutes

* It is best to practise in the morning, just after waking up, and again in the evening, at the latest an hour before going to bed.

* This practice is best done on an empty stomach.

===== OUTRO =====

Congratulations!!! You have finished the 14-day Breath Awakening journey. I hope this course has awakened you to the power and magic of your breath and its importance in your life. You now have 14 powerful and life-changing practices to support you every day of your life. I strongly recommend that you choose one of your favourite practices and go onto a deeper journey with it, practising every day for 21 consecutive days, 2-3 times daily for 10 minutes. A new chapter has just begun, so take this knowledge and continue your daily practice to keep your health and energy up. I am so happy and grateful to have met and accompanied you on this journey. Thank you for joining and I hope to meet you in person one day, perhaps in one of my trainings.

Namaste, live a happy and healthy life.