Deep Breathing to Increase Self Empowerment

First, the operative word here is "listening." The operative phrase here is "listen to your breathing." Any breathing, any time will work, but the deep breathing described in The Deep Cleansing Breath lens is the type of breathing I'm actually talking about.

Why listen to your breathing? Well, what else should you listen to? Those voices in your head? The criticism constantly surrounding you? The fear-mongering of the media, movies, politicians, or every darned commercial out there?

Heck no! Listen to your breathing. Your breathing is the one thing that is most closely connected to you in all ways and at all times. Not only does it not criticize you, it actually surrounds you with life, warmth, comfort, and is one of the most empowering activities you do every day (and all day long!). So why not allow it to help you?

A note about music (because I know a lot of you have just said "What about music?"). Music helps, yes it does. But it doesn't stop the other words coming into your mind from your own consciousness or from memories of other voices in your life. Why? Because music is quantum. You can listen to a million different strains of music all at the same time. It doesn't come into your awareness through the same channel as do words. So, you can still "think" while listening to music -- you know, while you work or socialize. But, you cannot listen to more than one thought, or word, or string of words, at the same time. Can't do it, no matter how hard you try. Thoughts are linear. Words are linear. Music is lateral (sideways, upways, crossways) and quantum (all ways at once). So you can focus on words and still listen to music.

However, for some interesting reason, you can't think in words while listening to your breathing. If you can generate a sentence while listening to your breathing, you're not really listening to your breathing....

Try it....

Crazy, isn't it? But it is true.

So the upshot about music is this: If you are attached to music, like I am, listen to nice music and listen to your breathing, too.

So now that you know some of the "whys" of listening, let's get into the "hows" of the technique and what each activity does for you.

Once you've gotten the hang of deep breathing, the listening technique is basic and easy.

As you inhale and exhale, listen to the wind you hear in your ears caused by the intake and outflow of air. If you wish, you can cover your ears a bit, or turn down the music in your headphones. Earplugs create a really neat effect. What you hear is the sound from within your ears, rather than trying to hear over the top of what might be some very loud noises!

The most effective way to do this exercise is to listen to several rounds of deep breathing. This is best, if you have the time, but even one or two deep breaths with the added listening (focusing) will do as much for you as a five-minute nap.

Chances are, you'll get bored after the third breath, and you'll find your mind returning to listen to the voices in your head. If that happens, avoid chastising yourself. That only adds stress to your self/feelings/body. Gently start another breathing cylce (remember that three establishes a pattern) and do it again. Each time you find your mind wandering and "thinking" just take a new, deep breath and listen to it. Over time, you'll get better and better at it.

Listening to, or focusing on, your breathing does a number of things:

1. It focuses your attention on something relaxing.

2. It allows your emotions to rest, because there are no negative thoughts for them to react to.

3. Resting emotions allow your mind to rest. (Stops the vicious cycle of bad thought, bad feeling, bad thought about bad feeling, etc.)

4. Your body begins to relax even further, as it no longer needs to react to any emotions.

5. A tiny space begins to open up between your conscious, thinking self, and your non-thinking, intuitive self.

6. The very quiet intuitive awareness that you have begins to come through.

7. A new idea, answer, or part of an answer surfaces just enough that you become aware of it.

8. You now know that the idea or answer is possible, and now you can't un-know the possibility. Usually, this makes one feel really, really good....

9. You realize there is a good reason to listen to your breathing rather than the negative voices in your head. Besides, it feels a whooooole lot better than the way those voices make you feel!

At this point a new type of cycle begins in your life. It is easy, free, and no molecules of air are ever harmed because you have breathed them. (Forget, for a moment, the harm in those molecules. Let's pretend it is all crystal-fresh air!). The point is, you now have something you can do, any time, any where, all for yourself. It doesn't cost a penny, and it makes you feel really good.

1. Your breathing comes directly from you. So, then, does the relaxation, the calmness, and the good feeling. No one else had a hand in your stress reduction, nor the clarity that came through, nor can they claim credit for "healing" or "fixing" you. You did it all on your own. Well done!

2. The intuitive answers came through you. When the idea "occurred" to you, I bet it felt good, didn't it? That happens when you allow the "correct" answer you really needed to come through without negative judgement. Even if you feel a little strange or silly afterward, that good answer was still good, and it came through you. I bet the next time you do this exercise more good ideas or answers surface, too!

3. Your body relaxes. It can't help but relax when you breathe deeply and then listen to the wind of that long breath. It literally has nothing else to do! Your body likes to be relaxed, stress-free, and energized. When your body is allowed to relax, it starts cleaning out the toxins from the cells in your muscles and so begins to re-balance the chemical makeup of them. This helps to bring in needed nutrients, minerals, oxygen, or water into the cells. These things they appreciate!

4. You get to know YOU. You get to know the YOU that come from the inner YOU. No one else lives there but you, and no one else knows this you that you are. That means no one has the right to judge that YOU because they have never been there. YOU are that YOU. ("I am that I that I am" sort of thing.) That person that you really are is the only person who has those answers or ideas that are going to have your best interests at heart. That YOU cares about you more than anyone else -- in fact that YOU can't care about anyone more than YOU cares about you. YOU are the center of your universe, and from that center you gain access to answers that best take care of your needs.,

Oh, don't worry. Later on you can return to caring about other people. YOU won't mind that you took a break from being second or third on your priority list. Besides, YOU knows that you will take even better care of others now because you've been better cared for yourself.

All that from listening to your breathing. And not too good to be true. Nifty, eh?