#breath meditation

[eyeoftheheart]

“We begin by bringing our awareness to our breath. We are aware of this breath and we're also grateful. The breath is something beautiful, enlivening, essential to life, and evidence of Divine Spirit sustaining us.

(...)

Remember it was said that this whole journey is a journey of I-ness and the transformation of our sense of I-ness. Let your mind drop into your heart, and as you breathe in, with every inhalation, have a feeling of I-ness in your heart. Let's get used to that: a feeling of I-ness in the heart, your true center. With every in-breath, repeat “I,” knowing that this “I” is not the “I” of your self-image, not the “I” of your personal résumé, but the “I” that is experiencing right now from the very center of your being, from your heart. Now we're going to add on the out-breath the word “Am”—“I Am”—and experiencing this “Am” as a sense of being embodied, an awareness of your physical presence, your actual existence in this world. So the “I” on the inhalation is, in a sense, outside of time, timeless, eternal. And the “Am” is your embodiment now. So we're inhaling “I” and we're exhaling “Am.”

(...)

Inhaling I-ness exhaling I-Am-ness—I Am. And this I-ness is holy because it comes to you directly from the Divine. There would be no I-ness if there were not Divine Consciousness and Spirit pouring into you. So this is the sacred “I” not the ego “I.” This is the mirror. And we're grateful for our bodies with which we experience life. Sometimes we suffer through the body, but it carries us, bears the soul. We are grateful for this. The body, too, can be sacred. In the case of some saints, their bodies are indestructible; they don't decay—it's miraculous. Breathing in “I.” Exhaling “Am.” Bringing the light of remembrance, the light of that I-ness into the body, into every cell of the body. I Am. Just a few more breaths. Ameen, ameen...”

~ Shaikh Kabir Helminski

[xenofact]

I Am A Whirling Thing

My meditative practices mostly come from Taoist, Buddhist, and psychological works. My goal is to sit there with myself, watching in that focused-yet-relaxed state that is hard to describe. Note of course, I do not say I want to reach a checklist of mental states - doing comes first, and I could probably write a lot more on that.

My practice is also simple - sitting cross-legged, back straight, breathing in a slow constant cycle, mind resting on breath. This is advocated in my oft-mentioned The Secret of the Golden Flower and like that lovely manual, it’s simple yet you could also discuss it at endless length. We humans love words, and we love to use them to describe the hard-to-describe.

You’ll notice despite my love of words, I’m often cagey about discussing these things. However, there is one insight I feel fine holding forth on as it is interesting and won’t put you, my reader, at risk, of trying to force yourself to experience meditative states.

Slow, regular, even breathing is a fascinating thing to watch because it’s a cycle. As I’ve practiced in my return to meditation, I’ve realized that everything is a cycle. Breath meditation isn’t that special, really, which is why it's so important.

We live in an environment of cycles. The seasons go in their circles, water evaporates then precipitates, animal populations rise and fall. We depend on these great circles to live - and as we have seen, ignore or alter them at our peril.

Our societies and histories are cycles. There are times of taxes and of building, of growth and contraction. Civilizations come and go - often in depressing predictability in hindsight. Humanity’s “journey forward” even seems to be a spiral of repetition, though our ignorance of our environment suggests we’re heading for a nasty swing.

Human relations are cycles. We are born and grow, roles changing and expanding. Students become mentors to other students. Children become citizens. Someone at the height of their achievements will retire (well, if they’re smart).

We ourselves are cycles. Our daily waking and sleeping, eating and digestion, birth and death. Even when we end, other cycles begin - decomposition, and some would believe reincarnation.

I can see the cycles of my life and my behaviors when I pause. There are great circles and spirals of growth. There are predictable life patterns you can see in others. There’s even simple things like foods I like then leave then like again.

Then there’s meditation.

I am a cycle of cycles and part of cycles. I am a whirling thing.

- Xenofact

[cringyfeverdream]

Take back to that time I did some breathing meditations and felt like I was going into labor

[testoster0ne]

andriy

[fucking-relax]

take in a deep breath.

now breathe out.

feel the fucking nonsense float away.

take full, deep breaths.

breathe in stength...

breathe out bullshit.

allow your breathing to find its own natural, unhurried pace.

with each breath, feel your body saying:

fuck that

(full Fuck That meditation here)

[postitforward]

Take a little scrolling break to follow along

🧘‍♂️

[a-path-by-the-moon]

[wandoffire]

How to Practice Meditation

Types:

Guided mediations

where a voice is guiding you through your mediation - a great way to start or for if you have trouble silencing your thoughts

Breathing exercises

activates the parasympathetic nervous system (calming) and great for grounding

Body scan

technique for tuning into the body, scanning how the body is feeling from head to toe

Walking

very effective for grounding and unwinding the mind, even better in spaces with nature

Benefits:

reduced anxiety, depression, stress and pain

improved self control, focus, self care and clarity

Tips:

find the right technique for you - what works for one person may not suit everyone.

start small - if you can't commit to 10 minutes a day, then commit to 1 minute.

youtube is full of guided meditations of numerous lengths and purposes - for mindfulness, for mornings, for energy, etc.

[nicoscheer]

X

[euphorictruths]

Feel those intense feelings and emotions flowing throughout your entire body; become aware of them. Recognize them. Trust your heart– Feel them, breathe... And then let go.

[sketchesinstillness]

Dear friend, remember that "This too shall pass" nothing in this world is permanent, not even your troubles. Better days will come. If you are going through a hard time, know that you can learn from it, grow through the process. You have the inner strength to weather any storm and emerge stronger, wiser and more resilient. There is a light in you that nothing can put out. Please leave a little heart for yourself or anyone who may need this today sending so much love and strength your way.

[chakrajourney]

Chakra Meditation in the Redwoods by Laura Iverson

[histhoughtslately]

Just breathe…

You’re being tested. Focus. 🧠

[ear-motif]

how does one cope with knowing that every moment of their happiness can only exist with the continued exploitation of colonized nations. like even if i kill myself it wont be enough and even if i devote my life to change it wont be enough because all forms of my happiness are predicated on theft and destruction.

[cosmichighpriestess]

[creepyscritches]

God I've been trying to learn how to meditate on the advice of my therapist but all I really experience is terror and panic lol... I've only started like ig allowing and processing emotions over the last 5 or so years and meditation just feels like smearing my face across a stovetop