“Your breath is a gift. Use it with purpose. To relax. To think. To see inside yourself.”
Engaging your brain and thanking your breath are special skills in the PerfectCoaches model. That’s because your nervous system (your brain) and respiratory system (your breath) work together to make conscious life possible.
Although you breathe without thinking, there are benefits if you do think about it. Meditation, where you concentrate on breathing to heighten spiritual awareness, is an advanced form of this. The word meditate can conjure images of an experienced practitioner in loose fitting clothes, seated in the lotus position, eyes closed, murmuring the mantra “Om.” It seems like it’s complicated.
Simply thanking your breath is a not only a beneficial habit, it can be a gateway to meditation. You can begin with a basic routine: Take four or five minutes out of your day to be very still, close your eyes, and thank your breath. Practice three phases. Begin with two very deep cleansing breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Next, breathe normally and be still; listen to your breath pass through your mouth and nose, feeling your lungs move as you inhale and exhale. Finally, use the stillness to clear your mind, feel calm, and be thankful.
This concluding moment of stillness is a benefit in its own right. It can also be the foundation for your own meditation practice. Extend your time and add the ingredient of a mantra—from the Sanskrit roots of mind release or tool—to move to another level. A mantra is a sound or word repeated during meditation. Om, the sound of the universe and creation, is a traditional mantra. A Google search will reveal many other suggestions. Chose the mantra that brings you strength and calm.
Talking to your coach. You can thank your breath the same time every day, 9 AM for example. Or, you can also pause any time during the day to sigh, control your breath, clear your mind and relax. Let your coach know what you did. The daily habit of thanking your breath will remind you to be thankful for life itself. It can also set you on the road to using meditation as a tool for relaxation and spiritual self-awareness.
Proper breathing goes by many names. You may have heard it called diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, or belly breathing.
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