Have you ever noticed that you are breathing every second?

In fact, have you ever noticed your breathing at all? perhaps only when you are breathing fast when you are under pressure for example, or exercising? But actually, noticing your breathing when you are completely relaxed I am finding to be one of the more therapeutic things.

Affectionate breathing is something that I was introduced to during my first experiences of meditation and self-compassion.  I remember the time when I first did the practice, I could not engage with it at all and I found the whole practice quite suffocating. I felt like my chest was tight and didn’t particularly enjoy it. However, the more I have practiced the mediation to more I have come to realise that breathing is a very powerful “anchor” and by this I mean, a brilliant way to come back to the moment during any mediation practice. If you are struggling with your thoughts and you find your mind is very active, I find if you come back to the simple act of breathing it is one way to come back into the moment while meditating.

Breathing happens automatically, we don’t even think about it, we breath from the day we are born until the day we die and it’s what keeps us alive, yet we don’t even think about the act of simply breathing in and breathing out. During affectionate breathing meditation practices, I have learnt to feel absolute gratitude that my body breathes all by itself. In a very recent practice I did, I felt such joy at how thankful I am that I am breathing and how good it feels. More recently as I have started to practice affectionate breathing more, I have noticed how much the breath nourishes the body and just spending a small amount of time concentrating on this makes my body feels so much better.

Dr. Kristin Neff is the pioneer of self-compassion and one of her meditation practices is affectionate breathing. Take a look on her website and have a go at the affectionate breathing practice.

See link below

http://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/#exercises

The photo for this blog I took lying on my hammock in my back garden staring up at the sky whilst practicing affectionate breathing……absolute peace.