Breath of Life: Four Way Breathing for finding unexpected movement and space. Amen!

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Breath, voice, shared sound - these are fundamentals of all spiritual practices. In this lesson, we bring focus to the lungs and chest as we breathe fully into the front, back, rib side, spine side, top and bottom of the lungs. The mind is engaged, the ribs learn to expand, and our voice becomes freer and more resonant. Amen and Hallelujah!

For a 15-second, ‘stop light’ or ‘pedestrian staring into phone crosswalk’ moment lesson, try this (its so much easier to do than explain):

  • Sitting, standing or lying down: focus on the upper right ‘quadrant' of your lungs.

  • Breathe into the front, then back, of your chest so that you feel the ribs expanding. Exhale.

  • Take another breath and expand your chest sideways so the outer ribs open and it feels as if your breath is sliding your sternum to the opposite side. Exhale.

  • Take another breath and expand through the imaginary top and bottom of your lungs. Exhale.

  • Take another breath and try expanding everything at once.

If you have time, repeat the same process with the lower right lungs, lower left lungs, and then upper left lungs. That’s basically the lesson.

Here is the complete lesson script,:

1.     Breathe into Right upper lung side.

a.     Breath into front upper right lungs

b.     back upper right lung

c.     top ribs on the right side, right upper lungs.   Notice face and eyes, can you find more relaxation?

d.     Medial  near sternum, the inside edge of the right lung. 

e.     Upward toward head  Movement in shoulder?

f.      Bottom – wherever that is for you

g.     Whole upper right lung.  Where are your sitz bones? Which nostril are you breathing into?

h.     Rest

2.     Repeat sequence with Lower right lung.

3.     Alternate Breathing into RIGHT top then bottom

4.     Breathe into whole right side.

5.     Find your seat, start with upper left lungs – where do you first notice your breath – your habit. Repeat the sequence: front, back, outer edge, inner edge, top, bottom, entire upper left

6.     Repeat sequence with lower Left lungs – really focus on letting the ‘bottom’ drop to the ground.

8.     Fill entire left lung,

9.     Sit or stand be over your feet.  Starting Upper Right, to lower right, breathe into each quadrant, in a counter clockwise circular sequence, a few in each quadrant.

10.  Circle the quadrants one breath per quadrant.  Rest as needed. 
11.  Circle in the opposite direction. 

12.  Breath into each quadrant and say AMEN on the exhale. Feel the openness, hear the richer tone. Hallelujah for the gift of breath!

Jacki Katzman