Spiritual Practices – Breathing Meditations

Welcome to the tenth installment in our Spiritual Practices series!

Each month, I’m introducing you to one of my favorites, and this month I’m sharing a bunch of simple, powerful breathing exercises and meditations. Some of them I created myself, but most are either from practicing yoga for 20 years or from various spiritual teachers.

Powerful Breathing Exercises and Meditations

1. Inhale Positive Energy, Exhale Challenging  

• • I share my “litany” of positive qualities, but instead of naming the challenging ones as I exhale, I think/say “Release, let go, surrender, unload,” and that covers everything!

2. Yoga Breathing Practices 

• • Pranayama (prana = breath = spirit) 3 stages—Inhale, Exhale, Retention
  • Breath of Fire (equal inhales and exhales)—from Kundalini Yoga, it’s done by pumping the navel point in and out while breathing rapidly through the nose.
  • Kapalabhati or “Skull Shining Breath” (focus on the exhale)—begin with a long, slow inhale through the nose, followed by quick, powerful exhales generated from the lower belly. Releases toxins, strengthens nervous system, relieves anxiety.
  • Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing – holding breath between inhaling and exhaling between each nostril. Helps to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain (linear thinking with creative thinking) and increases concentration and clarity.

3. Mindfulness Meditation

(from Thích Nhất Hạnh, Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist and “father of Mindfulness”)

• • Breathing slowly to these words, beginning with, “Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I am breathing out. In. Out.” (the rest is shared in the video)

2. From Sonia Choquette

(to become more relaxed and heart-centered)

• • From Tibetan tradition—thump chest (thymus) and yell “HA!”— shakes up stuckness in heart chakra, throat and head
  • Sigh breathing exercise—open your jaw and inhale through your mouth until you hear a click in your ears. Then let out the air while making the sound, “Ahhhhhhhh…”

I’d love to hear about your favorite breathing practices or how you resonate with any of mine!

And please join me next month when I’ll introduce you to some of my favorite Sanskrit chants.

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Life & Relationship Coach, Deborah Roth, MA is also a Counseling Astrologer, and Interfaith Minister. She leads women’s New Moon Circles and Full Moon TeleMeditations every month and loves designing creative, meaningful rituals for individuals and couples to energize their lives and relationships.

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