Meet your Breath!

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I'm providing both Text and Audio on this one occasion, simply to invite participation by those accustomed only to printed guidelines. However, I encourage everyone to use the audio format (below), as it is far more effective for somatic learning than reading text or watching a video.

Welcome to Cognizant Soma and this introduction to breathing. I've titled it "Meet Your Breath!" because, despite the years, I'm still surprised by how unfamiliar most people are with their breathing, let alone the functional application of it for health issues, performance, cognition, anxiety, sleep, anti-aging, just to name a few. If you haven't viewed the Site Introduction (in the Header) please do so first. Even those of you already familiar with Somatic Learning and Awareness will find some measure of information or insight that will help set the tone for this session. We'll begin as a wide array unstructured observation, and migrate toward a more narrow array structured observation. I will not include functional breathing, but I will introduce a few basic functional breath concepts. Those of you with backgrounds in Performing Arts, Sports, Yoga, Meditation, or a host of other pursuits will no doubt find some familiar elements, not just in this breathing session, but throughout the entire inventory of content to come. However, I'm confident that the knowledge you've gained from whatever it is that you do, will pair nicely with what we do together here, and allow you to do it even better!

How much do you really know about your breathing? It's something you will do roughly 20,000 times each day, and if it were halted completely, for more than a few minutes, you would cease to exist! Yet the only time most of us notice it is when it's significantly impaired by congestion, or when it's frozen in it's tracks or brought to a frenzy...by fear, anger, or some other emotional event. That's really unfortunate, because it may well be your most valuable and trustworthy ally, as well as the most useful item in you wellness tool set. So let's go inside ourselves for a few moments, and get to know this lifetime partner a bit better

Let's begin by sitting sitting upright with your head as much in line with you neck and shoulders as comfortably possible, rather than forward toward the screen; or you may lie on your back, with your head supported so that your face is parallel to the ceiling. You'll sense your breathing a bit better if the knees are bent with feet standing. If that's uncomfortable then extend your legs, but maybe have something under your knees. In a moment I'll ask you to close your eyes, and bring your full attention to every detail of your breath, both the inhale and exhale. We'll spend about 2 minutes just seeing how much you can notice about your breathing. This practice of observing yourself exactly as you are at the time, without adjusting anything...this will begin virtually every session we do, regardless of it's nature, and you'll become quite adept at refining and using it as a tool. Now close your eyes and lets begin to observe.

Open your eyes slowly, and breathe a few times just to see if it feels any different than it did a couple of minutes ago? Lets start by asking how did it feel to invest all of your attention in your breath? Was it comfortable, or did it feel unnatural and tensed in some way? It's almost certain that you changed some aspect of your breathing process just because you were asked to pay attention to it...that's our nature. But one of the first things we want to do, especially during an initial observation like this, is develop the ability to observe ourself without changing anything, even in the slightest way. The reason is simply because without a true sense of how we are in our normal state, prior to exploring, or being asked to notice something in detail then any comparison to what we notice or feel afterward, becomes meaningless. You have no baseline to compare with. The same holds true for intermittent pauses and assessments during a session. If you allow yourself to immediately return to a previous, or habitual, state to then you've lost the opportunity to sense or perceive the effects of what you just did. Sometimes we mistake "more comfortable" for "more familiar". The opposite can also occur. You might explore, or observer some detail, and afterward feel no different at all, which is fine, but then you adjust in some way thinking it's the correct way, or how you should be which, even if remotely correct, would be meaningless because it's not real. So the objective is to just "Be" at that moment. "Be as you actually are"!

Here are some things we might have, or could have noticed, in no particular order: #1...We're you breathing high...meaning in the upper chest, or low...meaning the abdominal area, and if you sensed both, then which was dominant? #2..We're you breathing fast...maybe 1 to 2 seconds on each inhale, and each exhale; or was it slow...maybe 4 or 5 seconds on each? #3...Could you hear yourself breathe? #4...How long was your inhale versus your exhale... the same, shorter, longer? #5...Did you pause anywhere during the process, and if so, where? ...after the inhale, the exhale, or after both? #6..Were both inhale and exhale smooth and relaxed, or was one, or both, a bit rough or jerky? #7...Did the inhaled air feel cool or warm, dry or moist? Did the exhale differ? Obviously your environment is a factor there. #8. Lastly, were you breathing through you mouth or your nose? This list is, by no mean exhaustive, but it will give us more than enough to focus on. In fact, taken in its entirety, this list would've been a lot for someone to notice; and I've never met anyone who sensed more than a few of them when observing for the first time.

Let's observe ourselves again, for 3 minutes this time, to allow you to settle into relaxed state, and find a comfortable rhythm. Just observe as many of these "elements" as you can, without stressing...it's not a test!. I will add, if you're breathing nasally, notice if one nostril seems more open than the other. Text readers just estimate the time...it's fine if you go longer. For the rest, I'll remind you of the time remaining. Now, let's Close your eyes and begin observing again.

Okay, good...we're back again. First just notice your breathing overall. Has it changed any since last check, or since the beginning? How many of the"elements" (we'll use that term for now) were you able to notice? "Notice", in this case means "sense" and/or "perceive". Maybe you remembered most of them, but you could only sense a few... that's fine! It takes time to develop the ability to bring your attention to so many things at once. Know also, that "sense" and "perceive" are not the same, which can add another layer of challenge to the observation. For example, You can "sense" the air passing over the inner lining of your nasal passage, but you can't quite "perceive" if it's warm or cool, moist or dry; and by the way, those aspects, or conditions, are perceived differently at different stages of the breathing cycle, and in relation to you habitual manner of breathing. One thing I haven't asked, and should have; did anyone notice something else that stood out...something not on our list. If so, the just add it to your list. In time it may help you notice something on the list that you can't yet sense.

Let's observe one last time, but with the eyes open, and we'll choose only a few elements to focus on. We'll start with breathing only through the nose. There are many reasons to breath nasally, and none to mouth-breathe...unless it is the only option for supplying air, which occasionally is the case. We'll leave all the science and facts regarding that 'til later. For now, just see if you can keep the mouth completely closed, and breathe only through your nose. If your nose feels congested or blocked, try pausing your breath for a "comfortable" length of time, while lightly pinching the nostrils together with Thumb and finger, then nodding you head up and down in "yes" fashion. No strong breathholds, just a comfortable pause till you feel the need to take a breath again. After a few times you may feel the nasal passages have opened a bit.Pause the recording if needed, and come back when you're ready. Also, anyone who wants to spend more time with any observation, is welcome to do the same. Okay, let's begin by taking a few calm breaths just to establish an easy and relaxed rhythm. Now begin to observe any noticeable qualities of the air itself, its temperature, it's moisture level, see if you can sense a slight coolness of the incoming air, perhaps a bit dryer than the warm moist outflow of air on the exhale. As you might guess the slower and lower the breath,the more difference you're likely to notice. Avoid taking a full deep breaths. You don't need to breathe full in order to breathe low. Do several breath cycles. Now add "Listening", to see if you can you hear yourself breathing, and if so then try to connect that to any effort or forcefulness you might can perceive. Keep that measure in mind, to compare with later. By the way, having the eyes open while focusing on something like this means guarding against visual distractions, so unfocus your eyes, unless you're reading, of course. If you're looking at something directly then just broaden you view a bit, and leave it that way. Now bring your attention to where you sense movement. You can place one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen, just above your Navel, and notice where you feel movement...is it mosty high or low? Stay with that for a few breaths, again marking the measure in your mind for later comparison. Now Let's spend some time with your rate or pace of breathing. You'll need a timepiece for this so use whatever's handy. First take a normal breath or two, then begin watch your timepiece to see how many breath cycles you complete in one minute. If you finish on an inhale at the 60 second mark, then just count it as 1/2 breath. You'll likely be somewhere between 10 and 14, with 12 being roughly the average, although that seems to be rising currently, which shouldn't come as a big surprise! Now compare the length of inhale versus exhale. You can either watch the time, or let your mind imagine the seconds, or silently count them in your head. Your find each of those has a subtle but different effect on the process, as will the type of timepiece used. See if you can equalize the time for each inhale and exhale, regardless of the length of time. Continue for a few breaths, letting yourself settle into a relaxed pattern. Now see if you can extend the exhale a couple of seconds longer than the inhale.So if your inhale is 2 or 3 seconds, then exhale 4 or 5 seconds, again staying with your normal inhale. Allow yourself time to find an easy rhythm that's not forced. We'll spend quite a bit of time with this functional practice later. and you find that it affects several aspects of your autonomic nervous system. Okay, leave it; and now lastly, breathe through your mouth number of times. Notice what you sense within your mouth, the inner walls, gums, tongue, and teeth? What's size of the breath, meaning the volume? Can you sense and increase there? You may be thinking that's a good thing, and I know it would seem that way on the surface. But actually, in most instances it's not, that is unless you're in the final stretch of a race, or belting out some song lyrics, or finishing a high intensity workout. There's a lot more to say about that later. Now close the mouth and return to nasal breathing, comparing the two. Notice how many breaths it takes to restore the moisture within your mouth. Lets finish by just breathing normally a few times, just to observe and compare. How does your breathing feel now versus how it felt at the beginning of the session? Note any differences and keep them in mind each time you revisit any of these observations.

Was there any part of this process you found especially difficult to do or observe? Often the greatest challenge is simply sustaining the focused attention. The more observations you include, and the longer you explore, the greater that challenge becomes,...but so too is the reward, particularly in regard to the cognitive aspects.

I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction to your breath. Practice observing any part of this session whenever and wherever you like, and watch for future sessions to further your understanding and use of breathing as a wellness tool. Watch also for content that connects with, or complements functional breathing. Thanks for visiting, and hope to see you again soon!

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