I am thrilled to be here on Thrive Global, having been asked to share excerpts from my book Breaking into Brilliance – an awakening of creative consciousness. It is my desire and hope to inspire.
Breaking into Brilliance
INHALE FOR STRENGTH, EXHALE FOR RELAXATION
We cannot breathe without our diaphragm, a big dome shaped muscle that lies beneath the ribs. When breathing in, our diaphragm tightens and moves downward. This creates an expansion in our lungs and more room in our chest.
The intercostal muscles between the ribs support all this expansion. They pull the rib cage up and out. If we concentrate on this process we can feel all is happening simultaneously.
Contact your diaphragm
Lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest and breathe against your knees. Then with your knees released and your legs extended, massage your diaphragm. Do this for a full two minutes and look for new thoughts, feelings or images that may arise.
The diaphragm is a creature with many legs.
It brings breath in and out of our body; Inhalation builds strength and courage. Exhalation aides in relaxation and can promote deeper feelings, even feelings that may have been lost since childhood.
These long buried feelings or memories revealed may be happy or challenging. There are certain memories and feelings we might not be ready to know or want to remember. Yet, hearing like this, on the crest of a wave of breath smoothes rough edges, and the truth can be a great relief. Breath can heal, transform and awaken us.
Meditation
Sitting comfortably, breathe in and out until you feel relaxed. Then, while breathing if you wish, introduce your favorite meditation music or a mantra. A fully relaxed breathing is slow and deep and takes practice. Yes, things may bubble up, thoughts, moments of concern. But your focus now with breath is to let go and keep coming back to the rhythm of your breath or your mantra. Come back to your truest sense of self that you can touch at the edge of breath.
As more and more practice strengthens the practice, a bigger sense of self eventually begins to emerge. This bigger sense of self is held in the power of concentration as the body/mind lets go. Accepting the challenge, sitting quietly with a mantra or with meditation music, does demand a discipline. The reward in this moment is your authentic self. The universal sense of self. And he power of this Breath has been known to create JOY.