Awareness of the Breath and Balance
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- Category: general tai chi information
- Published on Friday, 18 November 2011 02:13
- Written by Administrator
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Becoming Aware of Your Breath
Many types of meditation use the breath to help increase overall awareness and bring the mind to an empty state of observation. The breath is part of our nature ….. if you stop breathing for a few minutes then you will no longer be here. Some types of meditation control the breath or use imagery to help one reach these states. These methods though are complex and can be dangerous if done improperly. Just observing the breath is much easier and in the long run brings a real experience of the breath and its connection to your whole body. During the process of breathing , your body tenses or relaxes many muscles to help draw in air, and push out Carbon dioxide and other waste products. Often we do not realize how many muscles are at work and how complicated breathing is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscles_of_respiration
In the above link, you see quite a few muscles are involved but also realize that these muscles and others which are not named but used in breathing also change your balance and posture . Almost every muscle in the body can be felt to move during breathing during standing meditation. Feeling is one of the best ways to observe the body and become aware of its function. When you inhale you may feel as if the whole upper body expands even to the tip of the fingers if you let go of tension and just observe the movement. There is a saying that “the masters of old breathed from their feet”. This can be explained that when one really becomes aware of the breath and the way the body moves in a state of observation free from excess intention and its tension, the whole body will move even down to the feet as it balances itself.
Becoming Aware of Your Balance
During meditation one can also focus on their balance especially when doing standing meditation practice. To do this you need to find a comfortable stance with your feet about shoulder’s width apart. Let your knees be slightly bent and relax yourself feeling the connection of support from the feet through the hips all the way up the spine to the head. Try to focus and relaxing and observing the breath as above but also feel how your body moves slightly balancing itself as you breathe. Feel your feet on the floor and let go of the excess tension in them. Often we grip the floor with our feet to prevent any swaying but let your body relax into them. Feel your hips and how they distribute the weight from your upper body to your knees and feet. Let them relax any excess tension and observe how as you sway slightly they interact. Keep track of the connections from your hips and feet through your whole body as it moves balancing itself. Try not to move intentionally, but just observe the body’s natural mechanisms at work. Do this for 15 minutes every day and you will experience the wonder of your body as it works with gravity to keep you standing.