Expanding Breath can be a foundational and helpful practice for settling and really creating focus.
It connects your mind and the core of your body a little bit more with each breath.
Try one, two, or three and notice for yourself that you can bring back your attention when it wanders. This is your settling practice, your tool for focusing, from the inside.
Enjoy your practice…
Length 3:10FocusSitting
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EXPANDING BREATH
Try sitting tall and relaxed. Energized yet calm.
Let one hand rest on your belly, about where your navel is.
Your eyes might close.
Bring your attention to your belly as you breathe.
Notice if the in-breath expands your belly or maybe deflates it.
It is subtle but it might be detectable.
Breathe in and out a few times.
Now with intention of movement – using your core muscles create inflation on the in-breath.
Create the sense of deflation as you exhale. Let go of the pressure to be perfect, just try fresh with each breath. Do a few more.
Now with your attention on your hand in contact with your belly, set a new intention: to keep your hand where it is while you exhale. So, let it out. Leave it out there.
So even when your belly deflates with an out-breath, your hand remains, maybe an inch or more away from your belly.
Inhale – belly inflates to touch the hand, exhale – belly deflates away from the hand.
Do two or three more expanding breaths, at your pace.
This is your Expanding Breath practice. It is one that you can do almost anywhere. It simply gives you a tool for focusing and also for softening and settling.
Notice how you might feel different, in your body, and maybe in your mind after just a few breath cycles.
Well done.
Length 3:10FocusSitting
