| Path of the Swan Teachings |
| The Breath of Life |
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| Breath. So simple. Free. Abundant. Yet we take so little of it. We forget it is there. We take it for granted. Breath is life. Are we afraid to live? Breath is truth. Are we running away from it? Breath is feeling. Are we damming the emotions running through us? Breath is the first step to freedom. Will you take it? |
| PREPARATION: 1. CREATE SACRED SPACE. Choose a time and place where you will have at least 1 hour for yourself, without interruption. (It will go faster as you practice.) Make sure the room is warm, yet well ventilated. It should be clean and orderly. Smudge it, if this is possible. 2. SOUNDS: You may want to do this in complete silence. If you want music or need to buffer outside sounds, the best sounds for this practice are: andean flutes, calm ocean sounds, slow, simple drumming, about 1 X 2 or 2 X 3 beats. 3. TOOLS: Use several layers of towels or sheets under your body to shield it from the coldness of the floor. |
| All writings, teachings and art in these pages are copyright by Maria Mar and should not be reproduced, printed or downloaded under any circumstances. Photos by Corbis, courtesy of Yahoo! |
| STEP 1: Lay on your back on top of the towel on the floor. You can bring your knees up if it is more comfortable. Observe your breath. Do NOT fix or try to change it in anyway. Stay out of the way and just observe it. If you intervene right now, you will not be able to benefit from the practice. STEP 2: Inmerse yourself in your breath totally. Experience what it is like. Become your breath. Feel (not figure out) its rhythm. Feel its pace. Is it steady? Does it go faster at some points and then slower? Feel where most of your air is going. Is it in your chest? In your solar plexus? In your belly? Do not judge, fix or analyze. Your task at this moment is to Become Your Breath as it is right now. STEP 3: What is your breath showing you about the way you are living right now? What feelings are emerging as you become aware of your breath? Do you feel fear? anxiety? Resistance? Defensiveness? Sadness? Confusion? Peace? Emptiness? Do not label your feelings. Whatever they are, know they are good. They are teachers and guides to your soul's truth. Just feel them and accept them. You have nothing to fix. Honor your truth. STEP 4: Observe the four stages of breath. Stage 1: inhalation; Stage 2:in-pause; Stage 3: exhalation; Stage 4:out-pause. Again, without trying to control your breath, experience the pattern. Do you inhale very little? Or a lot? Do you do any in-pause? Or do you go from inhalation to immediate exhalation? How long is your out-pause? I cannot emphasize enough that you are to experience, not judge or analyze. If you find yourself judging and trying to fix something, this is a Control Shadow. Just acknowledge it and go back to the task of observing and experiencing your breath as it is. |
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