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Breathing as an Act
of Unconditional Acceptance
From
Kelly
McGonigal, Ph.D.
Openmindbody
Listen to
the extended audio instructions
Everything you
need to know about acceptance,
you can learn from a single
breath.
The act of inhaling: receptive,
open, willing to experience and
receive the present moment.
The act of exhaling: surrender,
letting go, giving back.
These two aspects of the breath
reflect the two aspects of
acceptance: not resisting what
is, and not resisting change.
To experience breathing as an
act of unconditional acceptance,
let the breath travel into,
through, and out of you.
Dissolve the sense of separation
between your body and the
breath, with a three-part
breath:
1)
Bring your awareness to your the
breath as it moves into and out
of your body. As you inhale,
feel the breath reach all the
way to your pelvic floor. Take
several deep but unforced
breaths, feeling the flow of the
breath to your pelvic floor and
back out through the nose or
mouth. The pelvic floor
naturally moves with the breath
- it mirrors the movement of the
respiratory diaphragm, the
muscle that initiates every
breath. See if you can connect
to this feeling of the breath
reaching deep within you - and
not closing yourself off the
fullness of the breath as it
travels through you.
2) As you
inhale, feel the belly and lower
back expand. Let go of any
holding in this area. Feel the
breath like a radiant energy
reaching out in every direction,
from your center. Let the exhale
be an effortless release. Many
of us hold the abdominal area
tight as an expression of
resistance. You may need to
place your hands on your belly,
or even pat your belly, to
encourage it to relax. The image
of a "Buddha" belly often makes
it easier to connect to the
great sense of freedom and peace
that is possible from letting go
of abdominal tension.
3.)
Finally, connect to the
expansion of your heart with
each breath. Imagine each breath
loosening restrictions around
the heart. Feel the breath like
a radiant energy reaching out in
every direction, from the heart.
Feel this literally like your
heart swelling with positive
emotion.
When the breath is moving into
all three areas, without strain
or force, you will feel a
profound openness to the present
moment and possibility.
Note: This is an excellent
practice for New Year's Day. If
you feel compelled to make
resolutions to change or fix
yourself in the new year, try
this breathing practice instead.
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