breathingpractices

The less accessible form of guided meditation that I use can be found in books. I say they are less accessible because you must borrow or buy the books, have the capacity to read the books, and the skill to practice written guided meditation, rather than verbal guided meditation. I'm not sure how it is for others, but I have a little more difficulty with written guides as I need to memorize them in order for the meditation to feel fluid and unbroken.

In two of Thich Nhat Hanh's books, No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering and Reconciliation: Healing the Inner Child, he offers us The Sixteen Breathing Meditations. In each of these simple breathing meditations, we are invited to bring awareness to parts of ourselves with the in breath and out breath. The first practice is simply awareness of the breath itself, "Breathing in, I am aware of my in breath. Breathing out, I am aware of my out breath". As you move through the sixteen breathing practices, you are brought into a deeper awareness of your body and self through the in breath and out breath.

Another teacher I have found is Lama Rod Owens, and in his book Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation Through Anger he outlines a lot of meditative practices for holding, tending to, and processing strong feelings of anger and injustice. He offers a lot of guidance for preparing for meditation and coming out of a meditative state, which I have found very helpful. He also offers guidance for three different types of breath; Basic Breath, Calming Breath, and Cleansing Breath.

One comment that Lama Rod Owens makes around breathing practices is that for those of us with trauma, breathing practice can feel ungrounded. I have personally experienced this. He recommends combining breathing practice with another form of meditation called The Earth Touching Practices, which can be found in his book, in Thich Nhat Hanh's book Reconciliation, and as guided meditations on the Plum Village app. Put simply, The Earth Touchings offer to ground us through the earth itself, and through the concept of interbeing, that we are not separate from the earth or the life it supports now or in the past. We are connected, interwoven, and we can find comfort in this.

I generally and highly recommend these books as they are full of tools and practices that can help on the journey towards recovery and healing.

#breathingpractices #breathwork #Meditation #CPTSD #Anxiety #Depression

Thomas suggested that I share the breathing practices that I have found helpful here in the group. I use both formal and informal breathing practices, and most of them are meditative. [Due to character limits, I am posting them in two parts.]

In informal practice, when I am just living my life, my breathing practice is often based on how I breathe during yoga. I focus on breathing into my belly, rather than into my chest. I observe where the tight spots are, and try not to fight against the tension. As I breathe in, I extend my spine and neck, looking slightly upward. As I breathe out, I relax my shoulders, chest, and face, resting my gaze forward. I focus on breathing in a cycle, making sure I breathe in, holding for a moment or two, breathing out slowly, and then in again. I struggle with holding my breath when I am not thinking about breathing, because I had to make myself as quiet as possible when I was child in order to keep myself safe. Now I struggle to naturally breathe in a way that makes noise or is deep enough to make me feel relaxed, because that's not how I learned to breathe as a child. Informal breathing practice is important for me to work on at any and all possible times, because I am attempting to relearn how to breathe in it's entirety, not only during meditative practices.

The most accessible formal practice that I use is on the Plum Village app. I believe it is available for both Apple and Android. The app is like "a monastery in your pocket", providing an abundance of guided meditations (including breathing practices), soothing sounds, chants, songs, teachings, written resources, and a mindfulness bell that you can use to bring yourself into a moment of meditation or into your breath, any time, any place. Guided meditations on this app range from about 2 minutes to 80+ minutes, so no matter your capacity there is something for you there. If you have found any of Thomas' posts and videos helpful, I believe this is a perfect compliment to those same concepts and practices.

#breathingpractices #breathwork #Meditation #CPTSD #Anxiety #Depression