Tag: breath

DANCING BREATH RAP – DO IT NOW!

Exhale/Inhale

Here you will find the symbols of Inhale and Exhale.  There is an ancient practice called Qi Gong, or Chi Kung, which relies on the breath as an integral piece of the practice.  Qi Gong is described as: “the philosophy and practice of aligning breath, physical activity and awareness for mental, spiritual and corporeal health, as well as the development of human potential. It includes certain forms of martial arts and the spiritual awakening to one’s true nature.”

Like Dan Brule of BreathMastery (who’s website offers 5 core breath practices) you might see in these symbols the following:

“I see in the symbol for the exhale a bold vertical stroke that reminds me of the spine. It has what appears to be a serpent rising and coiling upward around the spine. (depicting what in Yogic literature is called the “Kundalini Serpent”).  That same vertical stoke appears on the inhale too. But on the inhale, I see a downward diagonal stroke shooting thru what looks like a rounded belly. This reminds me to send the breath deep into the abdomen. Directing the breath energy into the “dan tien” is a basic practice in Chi Kung.”

It is within this movement of inhale and exhale that we live and thrive.  In the rising like a serpent up the spine, and the softening of the rounded belly, we move the life energy/chi that is necessary for our vital health and aliveness.

In our often sedentary lifestyles in the Western culture that natural breath is squelched and contracted into a shallow chest effort that often never, ever gets down to our bellies, let alone front, back and sides.  Stagnation and dis-ease converge on our already stimulus overloaded bodies and we lose our zest for life – or perhaps life itself.

This on the other hand is what we aim for:  “For the most part, when the breathing mechanism is uninhibited, it will reflect and express your moment to moment natural state. A healthy breathing mechanism will automatically adjust itself to your energy. It will respond naturally to chemical or metabolic changes, to the intensity of your emotional experience or physical activity. And, it should respond easily effortlessly to your conscious will.” Dan Brule

Continually seeking practices that enhance the practice of breathing consciously, shake us lose from our inhibited and habitual breath patterns, and that increase life energy there appeared on my Facebook page today a very fun video with Dr. George Love (http://www.freewebs.com/4doorstohealth/) of Baton Roca, Florida.  Dr. Love is an acupuncturist, Doctor of Oriental Medicine, and a Master of Blue Dragon Qigong. I don’t think that he will be able to make his living doing rap….but what he does have to offer here is a way to move that chi around and BREATHE!  Have fun!!

OTHER BLOGS BY GAYE ABBOTT:

JUST LAUNCHED!  www.DivineWeathJournal.com Recent Post:   “What Is Divine Wealth?” with The Brit & American

www.WildlyFreeWoman.com Recent Post: Woman to Woman/Sister to Sistah

IGNITE! – New Beginnings

As I walked the nature path with my neighbors dog today seeing the smiling faces of many, I realized that my energy was low.  The sun shining down upon me, the brisk air, and the contact with the Earth was enlivening me in a way that staying indoors and resting had not.

Allowing my shoulders to relax and my feet to make connection with the ground beneath me, I became aware of the earth supporting me as I breathed.   Self- image, at times based on a sense of separation from others and from the objects that senses perceive, let go of its grip.  It was at this moment that breath expanded lower into my belly and throughout my body.  A new and vibrant energy pulsed through me.

These changes were not produced by any kind of “doing”, but instead experiencing the moment as it is  with absolute presence.  The sense of “being supported by the Earth” will shift your breath and your awareness, and when practiced on a regular basis will allow you to energize, ignite,  and take action on the changes that will alter your life in the ways you dream and vision for this coming year.

With the coming of the New Year you may feel this need to renew, energize and shift into new awareness.  The astrology for this first month of 2011 also brings with it opportunity to expand beyond our old patterns and beliefs, and energize life altering changes freeing us from perceived limitations.

Scott Wolfram of The Travelers Well  www.travelerswell.com speaks on “igniting a vibrant explosion of energy” in your life now in the month of Janus. 

He says in his most recent newsletter:

“… as we move into the New Year, we move into the month of January, which is named for the Roman god Janus.  Janus is the god of boundaries and transitions, of doorways and new beginnings.  At each New Year, we all pass over a boundary of time and transition from one year to the next.   From the perspective of Janus, the New Year is more than changing the calendar it is the crossing of the boundary between the past and the future.”

He goes on to say that “the first 2-3 weeks of this year are the best times to energize 2011 as Jupiter will conjunct Uranus (at 27 degrees of Pisces) – which will not happen again until the year 2024!  The conjunction of these two forward-looking and powerful planets provides an opportunity to energize the future oriented perspective of Janus.  Jupiter and Uranus provide one of the most powerful astrological combinations to energize life altering changes, freeing us from the limitations of the past and projecting us into the future.”

The beautiful video below reveals to us the vastness, light, mystery,  and ever evolving Presence of all life – you included.

Time for a New Beginning


A spacey eclipse in the vacuum of space Nominee in the 1st Annual Firmament Video Awards Category.  Music: ‘Dawn of a New Century’ by Secret Garden

Practice the breathing space of connection with the Earth this month.  Feel the support, open the breath, and ignite your passions and creativity – freedom!

 

OTHER BLOGS BY GAYE ABBOTT:  WildlyFreeWoman

Vibration – Another Look At Sacred Geometry

There is a vibration that all living things share.  Each has their own unique pattern and flow – a resonance.  The basic life pulse on our planet has been at 7.8 seconds and now this is changing – speeding up –  which means that patterns of vibration must change to respond to this pulse.  Perhaps the seemingly fast pace of “time” is a reflection of this shift.

We carry these patterns within us and we hold a vibratory pattern within the liquid crystal of our bodies. Our own bodies are comprised of a large percentage of water – up to 60%.  Muscle is made up of nearly 75% water and fat only about 50% water.  Bones are composed of about 50% water.

Each emotion also holds within it a vibratory pattern as shown by Dr. Masaru Emoto’s work with water crystals in The Hidden Messages in Water.  We have all felt the shift in our energy as we experience different emotions.

At the level of a drop of water, as the molecules and atoms dance,  there is an exquisite vibrational art piece being created which is constantly changing – a pattern of sacred geometry into which we live and breathe.

Water droplet sacred geometry

Gregg Bradens video below explains how these vibrations in a drop of water morph into thresholds of resonance in more complex patterns held into place by increasing vibrations.  As frequencies drop the patterns go back to simpler patterns.  This sacred geometry resides in you.

Perhaps our entire planet is realigning in order to return to a healthier state of vibrational resonance. Consider that as a breathing space!  Comments are welcome.

OTHER BLOGS BY GAYE ABBOTT:  www.WildlyFreeWoman.com

This weeks post:  It Is Our Imperfection That Connects Us

Breathing Peace

The Symptoms of Inner Peace

*A tendency to think and act deliberately, rather than from fears based on past experiences.
*An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
*A loss of interest in judging others.
*A loss of interest in judging self.
*A loss of interest in conflict.
*A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
*A loss of ability to worry.
*Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation.
*Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
*Frequent attacks of smiling through the heart.
*Increasing susceptibility to kindness offered, and the uncontrollable urge to reciprocate.
*An increasing tendency to allow things to unfold, rather than resisting and manipulating.
Thank you to the author: Saskia Davis at www.symptomsofinnerpeace.net

Also Thank you to: www.onesanctuary.com for inspiration and finding this quote in the first place!

As we come into the holidays we may contemplate how to enjoy them fully without stress or undue expectations placed on ourselves and others.  It is well known that bringing peace to our planet is one of the most important elements in the realignment with vital health and well being that is being called for now in our times.  Yet, it is not political peace that I am speaking of here, for that is an outcome of another kind of peace.  It is the peace within us that when actualized, or at least practiced to the best of our abilities, contributes to the overall peace among nations, countries, communities and individuals.  It is this self-Peace, if you will, that everything else unfolds from.  Breathing peace may include some of the “symptoms” above…and will most definitely release one from the need to make the holidays, or our lives in general, “perfect”, and instead create unforgettable moments that will nurture, inspire,  and sustain collaborative relationships and evolutionary creativity. 

Breathing peace may include creating a “sanctuary” for ones self in the midst of many tasks and seemingly endless obligations.  This sanctuary can be in nature, on the back of a bicycle, feet enclosed in a good pair of walking shoes, a quiet space dedicated to contemplation/reflection within ones own home, in a bathtub filled with aromatic steam arising from a body covered with warm and comforting water, a bowl of homemade soup, a cup of hot chocolate, spiced apple cider or tea, a bookstore or library with comfy chairs to read from, a midnight walk in a star studded sky, a full inhale connected to a full and released exhale for several minutes, or any number of “sanctuaries” that bring peace and balance to the moment.

Here is an additional reference from Gay and Katie Hendricks who created a short online course on the PeaceBreath. Based on 1,000’s of years of instruction on the importance of the simple breath, their intention is to offer this reminder as a tool for conscious change and interconnection on the planet -starting from inside of you.  From the Aramaic translation of Jesus of Nazareth from the Beatitudes these words beckon us to remember: “Blessed are those who find peace through simple breathing, for they shall discover heaven within.”

http://www.consciousone.com/breathing_peace/

The course itself:
http://www.consciousone.com/breathing_peace/course/intro.html

What creates a  sanctuary of peace for you?  Please share it with us!

OTHER BLOGS BY GAYE ABBOTT:  www.WildlyFreeWoman.com

Sympathetic Breathing

“Sympathetic Breathing” brings to my mind many possibilities.  I see two people embracing each other, matching breath and bringing support and love.  I also am aware that we feel the breath rhythms of everyone around us and actually breathe the air that all that went before us have breathed – including the plant and animal worlds.  This “intermingling” of breath…although some of you may not want to consider that…speaks to the deep interconnectedness that we mindfully, or unmindfully, play in every day.

There is also a natural breath rhythm that can calm the sympathetic nervous system in our body.  The sympathetic system is a system that activates during stress, worry, fear, or anxiety.  It is our fight or flight system that was beautifully created for us when we needed to run from the tigers (or whatever was chasing us in the moment) to survive.  The chemicals that are stimulated to flow, and the physiological activation of muscles, reflexes, heart, and breathing to “survival mode” wear our body down over time…but certainly saved us from danger in the past.

The video for this week uses beautiful images in nature and mindful guidance to instruct on our natural blueprint of breathing.  This breath is one which calms and balances the sympathetic nervous system and stimulates the parasympathetic system,which is our deep relaxation response.  Mindfully breathing in this manner can not only bring more peace and health into your life, but can also affect those around you as they align with your breathing.

 

OTHER BLOGS:  www.WildlyFreeWoman.com