And if you'd like guidance for these and other techniques, check out the FitMind App. We'll also go into some variations of the breathing exercises so that you can master your breath in different ways. They can have a powerful effect on you, producing an altered state of consciousness, so please don’t attempt them while driving or standing. The former methods will put your mind into a state of deep relaxation, while the latter will generate heat and energy. We'll cover two different methods of breathing meditation: tranquil breathing and bioenergetic breathing.
#WIM HOF BREATHING DEMONSTRATION HOW TO#
"The breath knows how to go deeper than the mind." - Wim Hof Let's now explore how to breathe in meditation. Mastery is in the details, and the breath can be a platform on which you build your entire meditation practice. Meditation on breathing can transform your mind in amazing ways with some diligence. In the later stages of meditation, close observation of the breath can lead to insights about the nature of reality due to its transitory and simultaneously automatic/autonomic quality. The breath can prevent you from falling asleep. The breath makes for a great object of focus in meditation because it appears in fixed locations in the body but is also constantly moving. In this way, creating a relationship with the breath tunes you into your inner world. The breath can help you experience the contents of your mind on a more subtle level, since observing it requires a certain level of awareness.įocusing on the sensations of breath takes you out of your “narrating mind” and into your physical body. Here are a few additional reasons that many meditation practices center around the breath: So conscious breathing becomes a platform for gaining control of your mind-body system through meditation. In other words, breathing is both automatic and autonomous, depending on whether you’re paying attention. While primal parts of your brain keep you breathing automatically throughout the day, your rational prefrontal cortex is also capable of taking control of the breath. “To master our breath is to be in control of our bodies and minds.” - Thich Nhat Hanhīeyond the physiological impact, there's another key reason to focus on breathing in meditation: the breath serves as the gateway to conscious self-control. The Importance of Breathing in Meditation There are other advantages of breathing in meditation, which we'll cover next before diving into the techniques. Through different methods of breathing in meditation, you'll learn to access both scenarios at will. For example, an elongated, smooth breath will tell your body to relax, while a rapid breath will tell your body that it’s being chased by a lion, triggering the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous system. The way you breathe communicates to the rest of your body through the ANS. With the tranquil breathing techniques that we'll cover next, you can learn to take control of your mind using your breath. More recently, scientists discovered that the breath affects this system directly, enabling you to influence your ANS at will. It was previously thought to be completely out of your conscious control (hence the name “autonomic”). The ANS manages several of your body’s key functions, like heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion. Each breath you take sends critical information to your brain, heart, and lungs through your autonomic nervous system (ANS).