Introduction to Restorative Breathing Exercises
- The breathing practices I will introduce you to should never be done forcefully.
Proceed gently and patiently for the best results. Forcefulness only serves to introduce
more tension to the system.
- These exercises are not designed to cause physical
pain or discomfort. If you feel pain, honor this signal from your body and reduce
the intensity by lessening your effort or discontinuing the exercise.
- The primary objective of this breathing practice is to increase awareness or consciousness
within the mind and body. Greater awareness facilitates your natural self-care and
self-regulation processes.
- Bringing your mind and body into better alignment will ultimately decrease stress
and create a sense of peacefulness.
- A sense of relaxation or peacefulness, however,
is not always the first reaction you will experience when you start to become aware
of yourself. Sometimes physical and emotional discomfort initially worsen or intensify.
Proceed slowly and sense what you can comfortably tolerate if difficult emotions
begin to arise. Give yourself permission to either stay with what you feel or change
your direction, whichever feels most helpful to you at the time.
- Consult professional
help if you are experiencing significant physical or emotional pain. Self-help materials
can serve as excellent guidance, but should not take the place of one-on-one professional
consultation.
Next: Cultivating Your Mental Attitude