Why I Love Breathing Consciously

It’s hygiene for the mind, body and soul

Photo by Luz Mendoza on Unsplash

Welcome fellow reader, shall we breathe first and then begin reading?

Aye aye captain!

Breathe in… Breathe out…

Breathe in… Breathe out…

Breathe in… Breathe out…

Did you just read that without breathing? Stop reading, do it.

By the end of this article, you will realize why I emphasis on conscious breathing and how you can inculcate a simple, truthful, natural technique into your everyday routine…

This is especially for those who have been meaning to try ‘meditation’ or for those to realize why it’s so important for a human being like you and me

Photo by Hans Vivek on Unsplash

Since the wake of the quarantine, we’ve spent our time on video calls, binging TV shows, shuffling music, reading books, browsing on social media, playing video games, making art, cooking food and other stuff.

But now what? You’re bored of all that? Hmph.

Instead, try adding one more thing to your usual routine. Breathing consciously. That is it.

Think of it like natural medicine for your human body. A way to achieve the best of health, wealth and prosperity. It’s because breathing is the basic function for the human body and here’s why breathing is important for the human body.

The word ‘meditation’ is a common ‘trend’ in the past and you’re already familiar with its benefits. You’ve seen it in blogs, YouTube videos, Instagram posts, self-help books and even in TV shows.

I’m sure I’m the 1000th person recommending this practice, but trust me, there’s a reason why all the successful people do it on a daily.

Photo by Simon Migaj on Unsplash

Meditation is basically breathing, but consciously. It’s as simple as brushing your teeth, washing your hands or scrolling on Instagram.

Meditation is as important as washing your hands regularly. And just 20 seconds of it is not enough

It’s a very natural technique for a human being to do and it’s nothing new or fancy.

I’ve been properly meditating for the past year and now, I can’t do without it

To make it simple, I’ve broken it down into 3 easy steps for you to do it.

(Copy paste this technique if you forget.)

So, how do we consciously breathe?

Breathe in — fill up your belly and lungs

Breathe out — let go of the breathe in your body

Exercise: Breathe in — try to count to ten — Wait for 5 seconds whilst you hold your breathe — Breathe out — count to ten — wait for 5 seconds — repeat

(Do this 3 times till you find some sort of calmness/heaviness in your body)

Let’s dive in deep, shall we?

Turn on and get comfy

1. Get comfortable by sitting down on the ground, or on a comfy chair, or on the bed. (use a pillow if needed)
2. To ease the distraction, turn on an ambient/white noise playlist
3. Place your palms on your thighs, open or closed
4. Close your eyes and look upwards, in center of the eyebrows, where your 3rd eye rests
5. Relax your neck, shoulders, face muscles, jaw, lips and place tongue on the roof of your mouth
6. Straighten and align your back
7. And breathe…

Tune in and open the channel of thoughts

1. Let all the thoughts flow in like a gushing river (mantra: let it come, let it be, let it go)
2. Keeping your eyes closed, listen to your heartbeat and other pulses in your body
3. Mentally scan your body for any pain, tension, knots, clumps, blocks (all the way from the tip of your hair to the tip of your toe, internally and externally)
4. Bring in more thoughts from the day (keep affirming goals, moods, feelings, emotions)
5. Keep focusing on the breath
6. Try identifying the different smells around you
7. Try listening to sounds or music around you
8. Try looking at colours in all the darkness
9. Feel your body temperature rise or fall
10. Feel the energy moving through your body

Drop out and take a rain check

1. Slowly open your eyes slowly to see to notice things around you
2. Notice 2–3 things around you
3. Close your eyes and breathe again
4. Reflect on your day (people you met, things you said, music you heard, news that you watched, emails you read and all things that affected you)
5. Think of mortality and the gift of life and death
6. Be in the present state of mind
7. Acknowledge the life in and around you (I thank myself for being here, I thank you for this day, this life, this moment etc)

And you’re done!

This whole process should be at least 10–20mins. You can do it for however long. I use this technique to fall asleep sometimes.

Some tips for a better experience (it’s not needed, but it will improve the routine):

• Try to have an empty/light stomach before you begin
• Light a candle
• Drink lots of water
• Keep your phone on DND
• Have faith in the process
• Have fun and make it personal

Photo by Free To Use Sounds on Unsplash

If you’ve skipped all of this to reach the bottom, here’s one thing you should know. Meditation doesn’t necessarily be done sitting. It can be done when you wake or before you sleep, between work, while entertaining yourself, while working out, walking or running.

Don’t think ill of it. Just think and accept it as a natural truth of a human body, mind and being.

Be positive about the process. It’ll only start making sense to believe in if you’re doing it regularly and correctly.

Remember to…

to breathe with full awareness and consciousness

to be thankful for everything

to look inward and reflect with the present time

to inhale positivity (good shit) and exhale negativity (bad shit)

You can also try the Wim Hof Method to experience a different breathing experience.

If you’re looking for a guided meditation, check out Headspace. I used this to start off, and it also helped a few friends of mine too.

Thank you for reading! If you liked this article please share with those who want to start their journey in meditation.