Breathing Exercises and a Successful Healing Meditation!

Today I took a few moments to do my basic breath work at my desk and I felt that I had a bit more energy.

Later in the day I tried a new exercise, mainly to tone my abs. During my first attempt at this exercise I achieved 31 repetitions and my entire body, including my face, was tingling.  I realized that this tingling sensation was caused an increase in oxygen in my body, indicating that I do not get enough oxygen (I smoke at this time). I believe the tingling was also an indication of increased energy in myself.  Therefore, I will now use this exercise to increase my energy.

       While breathing in through the nose, the belly should expand.

        While breathing out through the mouth, the belly should contract.

        When the belly contracts, consciously pull your navel toward your spine; slowly, deliberately controling your                 muscles.  Try to pull in as straight as possible.

        Hold the muscles taught for a moment, then release by breathing out through the nose, allowing the belly to                slowly expand.

        Repeat as many times as possible, working up to 100 repetitions in one sitting every day.

Later on, I tried Dirga Pranayama but found it complicated.  I'll practice that every day.  Then I tried Ujjayi Pranayama and felt tingly and light-headed (not enough oxygen, increase in energy).  I repeated that breath ten times.  I found Kapalabhati refreshing and challenging and will continue with that breath.  I then tried Nadi Sodhana Pranayama and I highly recommend it when one needs to relax.  I found it very enjoyable.  It is as follows:

       Place the right hand in Vishnu Mudra (forefinger and middle finger bent toward palm; thumb, ring, & pinkie in the            air). To do one round: close off right nostril with thumb and inhale into the left nostril; close left nostril with ring and        pinkie, open the right nostril and exhale through the right, then inhale into the right nostril; close the right nostril,        open the left, and exhale through left. Continue, doing 5 – 20 rounds.

Sit Cari Pranayama HURTS if you have cavities or need a root canal!  I won't be trying that breath again for a while!

At about 4:10 p.m. I decided that I would try this meditation I found online while I was waiting to sign out.  It's titled simply "Immune Boosting Meditation" [Adapted from The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle (New World Library, 2004)].  success!!! I WAS A TOTAL BEING OF ENERGY! OF LOVE! OF LIFE! I WAS A SINGLE, UNIFIED FORCE! My breathing became more rapid but remained complete inhalations and exhalations and my head was lifting and moving back! my entire body is tingling!!!  I recommend this meditation!!

       1.    When you are unoccupied for a few minutes, and especially last thing at night before falling asleep and first                   thing in the morning before getting up, “flood” your body with consciousness.

       2.    Close your eyes. Lie flat on your back. Choose different parts of your body to focus your attention on briefly                at first: hands, feet, arms, legs, abdomen, chest, head, and so on. Feel the life energy inside those parts as                intensely as you can. Stay with each part for fifteen seconds or so.

       3.    Then let your attention run through your body like a wave a few times, from head to feet and back again. This               need only take a minute or so.

       4.    After that, feel the inner body in its totality, as a single field of energy. Hold that feeling for a few minutes. Be             intensely present during that time, present in every cell of your body. Don’t be concerned if the mind                             occasionally succeeds in drawing your attention out of the body and you lose yourself in some thought. As                 soon as you notice that this has happened, just return your attention to your inner body.

Good luck and have fun!

I'm currently sitting in bed with the laptop on my lap! while S plays Dead Rising on the floor beside me.  R is sleeping soundly in his crib after having eaten 12oz within 2 hours' time.  He'll probably be awake again earlier than usual at about, say, 3 am.  I think my tooth infection is back (it's been two weeks since I finished my antibiotics and my appointment for a root canal isn't until May!) because it hurts alot so I took a hydrocodone.  Love that stuff.  I make it a point to only take it once every two or three days if possible.  Too easily addictive.  It would be, though.  It's related to heroine.

Anyway, I'm trying to read 2012: The Return of Quetzlecoatl here at home, but I'm also researching a certain teacher plant and attempting to generate designs for hand-drawn bookmarks to make a little extra cash from.  I can't decide which I want to do, since I finished designing my spells for Saturday night at work today, and I can't gather my ingredients from the spice cabinet until everyone's asleep (why do you need cinnamon and clove in your room, T?  Uh... My sock drawer smells bad?  No.). 

And I don't want to start my ab exercises until I've started on the stationary bike (cardio before toning) and my dad has to clean a bunch of junk away from the bike. 

I suppose I could put together the list of stuff we need whether we can afford it or not but I usually do that at work. 

S is kind of into his game right now so I can't meditate and I have this thing about wearing headphones while I have the baby.  I need to know that I can hear him.  And if S is anything like myself, he'll be too in the 'gaming zone' to notice if R is fussing.

I guess I'll just enjoy writing this blog... wait, I think I'm finished.  Maybe I'll add another blog about the meditations I've found and plan on incorporating (memorizing) into my life.  Yeah, I'll do that next.