As you may have discovered through my blog, sensuousness is all about "letting". Letting your senses be free to receive all kinds of information, letting emotions come up with all consequences. Letting go of mindless thoughts to gain clarity, letting go of tension to find inner strength.
This week I encourage you to dive fully into breathing. All ancient cultures linked the breath directly to our life force or soul. Through the following exercises, you will experience why.
Unconsciously we take a breath 23.000 times a day. Often we don't perceive that our breath becomes shallow through out our stressful daily life. Most people with whom I have worked on breathing awareness notice holding their breath during vast periods of their day!
Through our habit of shallow and tense breathing we get tight in our whole torso. We loose the elasticity, strength and so the capability to breath sufficiently.
If you find yourself constantly fatigued, unfocused or anxious, the exercises will offer you a great relief. If you feel totally brilliant and fully alive, you will increase your sensuousness, mindfulness and energy level.
Even if you don't share the ancient concepts of Prana or Chi, our modern science has proven that a free, uninhibited flow of breath is not only providing us with the required amount of oxygen, it's also a fantastic massage for our organs. It increases your lymphatic flow, fuels your digestion and your whole metabolism. It's a workout for all the muscles in your trunk including your precious pelvic floor and your diaphragm - it also creates a slimmer waistline. It simply nourishes and refreshes your body, mind and soul!
Sensuous breathing tips:
1. As you sit here, where do you sense your breath? On your nostrils? In your sinuses? Down your throat? In your ribcage? Your back? Your belly? Your pelvic floor? Where else? Do you allow your whole body to be moved by your invigorating breath? How do you feel, paying attention to your breath? Do his anytime you find time, waiting in line, standing at a red light, at boring meetings - and you will see your over all stress level and your life quality improving.
2. Do the following breathing-exercise now and as often as you wish: find a comfortable position and close your eyes. Breath in for seven counts, hold your breath for seven counts, breath out for seven counts and then hold again for seven. Do this exercise five times in a row and turn on your sensuality! You can keep the count with your fingers, to fully sense your body. And give yourself time to experience how you breathe and feel afterwards. This exercise stretches and strengthens all the muscles that are responsible for breathing fully and it stimulates your vagus nerve which is responsible for your relaxation response and a healthy balance in your autonomous nervous system.
3. Observe your breath during the day. When does it get shallow? When do you catch yourself holding it? If you want you can use a timer that rings every hour to check your breath during the course of your day.
4. Pay special attention to your breath in the moments you get close with your partner. Let the breath flow through you as you give in to the pleasure, you will be amazed how this affects your encounter.
4. If you want to free your ribcage of old tensions and constraints and gain the mobility and strength to breath to your fullest potential try out Essence of Bellydance or my Sensuous Dance Workout. The warm-ups and the cool down, as well as all the upper body techniques are your tool to empower your breath!
5. Share this with your friends, let's keep each other accountable on breathing fully.
