Breath work Mediation, Pt. 2
As we inhaled and exhaled, the instructor guided us through mentally letting go of negative thoughts and feelings. She circulated quietly throughout the small room, whispering reassuring words or reminding people to increase the depth of their breaths instead of taking shallow ones. One of her mantras during class was that “breathing deeply sends a message to ourselves and the Universe that we are alive and we matter,” which I thought was meaningful and thought-provoking. The repetition of the exercises ended with us being in a relaxed state and lying on our sides serenely until directed to slowly sit upright. I felt relaxed and a bit sleepy, similar to the state I try to achieve in order to get a good night’s rest when I wind down hours before my bedtime. Once the exercises ended and we all sat up, I felt relaxed, as if I had taken an actual mini-nap although I stayed awake the entire time.
The entire class lasted 40 minutes. Before class ended, our instructor advised us to hydrate our bodies with water and to bathe/shower tonight to cleanse the negative energy we released during our breathing exercises. The instructor welcomed students to take their time coming out of the relaxed state as we were exiting class. The instructor explained to me that breath work can be used to ease symptoms associated with trauma, depression and anxiety. After the session, I felt physically lighter and calmer. The best feeling of all was the mindfulness that I experienced by focusing on my breath and relaxing my body. In the future, I would attend another breath-work session (group or individual) and also learn a few simple breathing exercises to use in my daily life. If you are looking for another self-care practice to add to your tools for well-being, breath-work is worth exploring.