Practice three unique breath patterns to soothe your nervous system and release deep-seated physical tension.

English

This meditation explores three different parasympathetic breaths: Horse Lips Breath, Lions Breath, and Humming Bee Breath. Explore which resonate with you the most and notice how each change your internal landscape after just a few moments. This is also a part of a larger meditation series. (45)

3 Relaxing Breath Patterns

Hello! My name is Eden, and I am a therapist, Reiki teacher, and meditation guide. Now whether you've found this meditation through one of my Reiki courses or just through the web of life, welcome! These meditations are intended to deepen your relationship to your intuition and gifts, and facilitate an understanding of your own internal landscape. Each meditation is also a tool that can be offered to yourself or a client, so I invite you to notice what shifts within you before, during, after, beyond the meditation, cataloging the effects with words and feelings and sensations. Just letting yourself take note. Allow it to be personal and universal. Let's begin! And today we're going to be focusing on three different types of breath. And each of these are simple exercises that you can offer yourself or others when you're working to rekindle that parasympathetic state of rest and digest within you that ushers in calm, less stress, more peace. I encourage you to just notice how each breath lands in your body, how it shifts the mind, providing a little bit of language around your own personal experience to start to have a deeper relationship with each breath, to see how it affects you. And we'll start first with what is called horse-lip breathing, or pursed-lip breathing. Along with activating that parasympathetic rest and digest nervous system state for relaxation, it's also commonly known to release facial and jaw tension, and improve gas exchange in the lungs by keeping the airways open longer. This can help reduce shortness of breath, improve exercise tolerance, soothe anxiety, and promote a sense of control during moments of stress or overwhelm. I find myself reaching for this breath when I am overstimulated, and also during runs, when I want to wrangle my breathing again and help the body relax everything that does not serve so that it can continue to perform efficiently. And what this looks like is with each exhale, the exhale moves out between pursed lips, just like a horse breathing out, releasing that tension. You might feel a vibration all the way through the face as it moves out the lips, noticing that tension releasing. So go ahead and take a soft inhale, and then exhale out the lips, letting the lips move with the breath. It'll sound something like this. Just taking a few rounds, just like that, noticing anything that moves through you that comes up and out, or that is let in. Beautiful. And we release that breath now, letting the breath move in and out as it pleases, as you notice any little shifts within you again. As we usher in the second breath now, and it's called Lion's Breath. And this practice involves a deep inhale through the nose, and a powerful exhale through the mouth, with the tongue sticking out, mimicking a lion's roar. Sometimes there is a little bit of breathy sound associated with that exhale as well. And again, there's the benefit of stimulating that parasympathetic nervous system, ushering in a more restful state. It can also help release emotional tension with that exaggerated exhale and slight roaring sound, providing a moment of catharsis. If you're experiencing anger, frustration, anxiety, it can be let go with that exhale here. I also notice that it adds this element of confidence and self-expression. With this bold nature of the breath, of taking up space just by sticking your tongue out, being bold, it can boost that self-confidence, self-esteem, ability to take up space in the world around you. And it's also said to stimulate the throat chakra. So we'll take just a few rounds of Lion's Breath now. Go ahead and deeply inhale, and then exhale, open mouth, stick the tongue out, taking just a few more like that. Deep inhale, and forceful exhale out the mouth, tongue is out and down. It might feel silly, and let that be part of the beauty. This silliness is also a story that we hold from the past that we no longer need. Good. Taking one last round, and then we let that Lion's Breath go. Beautiful. Taking a moment to notice any shifts in the body, in the mind as you offered yourself that breath. And then we usher in our final breath tool called Humming Bee Breath, Bromary Breath. Some might also say Honey Bee instead of Humming Bee Breath. And this technique involves making a humming sound on the exhale, which is said to mimic that bee's buzzing. And along with that, releasing stress and anxiety through stimulating that parasympathetic nervous system benefit of the rest of these breaths. It can also improve concentration, because it takes a little focus to make this sound in the body. You might notice that your mind drops down to focus inside the body, can quiet that mental chatter. It may also allow for better sleep and reduce blood pressure. I find myself using this breath when I am desiring to reconnect with my body in a soft, feminine way that still holds much strength, being so present with the body. So go ahead and take a deep inhale, and then hum with your exhale, taking multiple rounds, no rush, right here. Maybe you notice the texture of the hum wavering as you make your way through. Maybe you let the humming clear little blockages in your throat, in your vocal cords. Maybe you notice a desire to not hum, to keep your sound inside. I invite you to really just be here. Try it. Notice what comes up for you as you take up a little bit of space in this beautiful, soft, inviting way. Two more rounds, just like that. And then we gently let that humming bee breath go, letting breath come in and out as it so pleases, noticing any little shifts maybe in the throat, the mind, the body. Maybe something has been shaken loose, or settled, or opened, or released. Knowing you can always return to any of these breaths in small moments throughout your day, reaching for them whenever you need.