Conscious Breathing: Find Peace in the Chaos Around You with this Buddha's Story
There is one old text called "Kayagatasati Sutta” or "Sutra for contemplation of the body, in the body". In this text, the Buddha talks about how we can get rid of tension, and it is in every part of the body and the whole body as a whole.
He used the story about the farmer, who climbed onto the roof with the intention of taking down a bag of gravel. The farmer broke one end of the bag, so that all the gravel, one by one, fell out of the bag. He was thus able to see the beans with his own eyes and separate those that were moldy or rotten from those that were good.
Buddha recommends in the text that just like this farmer, we humans also practice how to pay attention to every single "bean" from and in our life.
Exercise
Lie in a comfortable position and scan your whole body, then slowly focus on individual parts of your body. First start with the head, or hair on the head, and finally finish with the toes. Take it part by part, and at the same time repeat to yourself:
“I'm breathing, I'm aware of my brain."
Exhaling, smiling from my brain.'
And so continue with the rest of your body.
Try, like the farmer with his beans, to consciously and attentively scan your whole body part by part. Fifteen minutes is enough time for your mind to begin to recognize relaxation and start to fill your body with energy. So your body will release the stress and tension from itself.
Moreover, if during the scan, you come to a part of your body that is painful, stay with focused attention longer on that part. Buddha says that by paying conscious attention to what hurts, you will be able to smile and thus release the pain, stress, and tension from you. And by releasing the tension, you activate the healing processes and healing itself within yourself.
The awareness to return to ourselves and accept our true "home" - the body, with all its limitations, is the ultimate goal of a healthy approach to ourselves and to spirituality.
So I suggest you continue this practice and repeat:
"I breathe in, I calm my body down
I exhale, I smile.
I breathe in, I am in the present moment,
I exhale, I know it's a wonderful moment.
I breathe in, I know I breathe,
I exhale, I know I'm breathing.
I inhale, I breathe deeply,
I exhale, slowly.
I am aware of my body, I am breathing,
Relaxing my body, I exhale.
Calming my body, I breathe,
Taking care of my body, I exhale.
Smiling at my body, I breathe,
Letting go of my body, I exhale.
Smiling at my body, I breathe,
Releasing the tension in my body, I exhale.
Feeling the joy (of being alive), I breathe,
Feeling happy, I exhale.
Living in the present moment, I breathe,
Enjoying the present moment, I exhale.
Aware of my stable position, I breathe,
Enjoying the stability, I exhale.
Breathe slowly and give your full attention to the process. With each breath, feel the calm that the exhalation brings. Just like drinking cold water on a hot day, feel your breath cooling your internal organs.
When you practice meditation, if the body is still, then the mind is still. Conscious breathing makes body and mind merge into one. As you exhale, smile to relax all the muscles in your face as you release the nervous system.
I often tell my interns to smile while they practice. I believe that neither practicing yoga nor conscious breathing should be difficult and very serious. The half smile reminds us that the ultimate goal of our practice is comfort, peace and joy within.
By surrendering to the present moment, we learn to let go of attachments to the past and worries about the future. We know we are alive if we are in touch with all the miracles happening around us. Because Life is available to us only now, in the present.
The exercise I described above can be practiced anywhere at any time: in the gym, in the kitchen, in the park, regardless of whether you are moving, standing still, lying or sitting.
By introducing this practice of conscious breathing into your everyday life, you will be able to transform the present moment into a moment filled with wonder and beauty for you.
Sai Baba says life is a Game, so let's play it right!
Love and light
Biljana Pesheva
about the author: Biljana is the founder of the brand Healthy Life Skills & Healthy Yoga, where she holds seminars, retreats, active vacations, trainings and classes to reduce stress and tension in the modern man using a comprehensive (holistic) approach in working with individuals and groups.
