the twenty minute breathe out

This breathing exercise is a very simple twist on the old air-in, air-out yogic breathing thing, but different because it involves consciously focussing in on mechanics of breath, the effort of muscular torque followed by the ease of letting go and the rhythm it creates. Breathing is something we are constantly engaged in, from the moment we are born til the moment we expire, and for the most part it is an unconscious process. Just by noticing it, we can exert some control over how we feel and think.

So much of everything we experience in life is about the relationship between tension and release. Both inside and outside of us, stuff is forever building up, up, up to a crisis point which then in turn boils over and dissipates, only to become something else in turn, repeating the tension-release pattern all over again. This process is normal, it can be both exciting and stressful at times, but it can also be terrifying, painful and make us feel perilously out of control.

With effort practice and effort we can exert some gentle control over the waves of thoughts and emotions we experience inside ourselves. The idea is not to even-out our perceptions and emotions to a dissociative flatline but to stave off helplessness — that feeling of being a little skip being tossed about on emotional high seas. I could go on and on about the science behind breath work but what you really need to know is this: If you are feeling fragile, fearful, sad, anxious or overwhelmed, this exercise will make you feel a lot better in twenty minutes. Just find a quiet place to listen, close your eyes, relax and tell me how you feel in the comments below.