Here’s a short routine to help you relax before practising in your quiet space. Focusing on the breath is a great way to clear your head of all the concerns of the day, so you can be fully present with what you’re doing.
You can adapt this routine to use whenever you feel either stressed or lethargic – or both. It’s particularly good when preparing for the day, or unwinding for the evening. But you could equally well do it sitting in the car at traffic lights or waiting for the kettle to boil.
E.G. White was convinced that the out-breath is more important than the in-breath – and the teachings of yoga agree with him.
It’s good for your general health and well-being to take in plenty of air – and therefore oxygen – with every breath. However, it’s best not to concentrate on the idea of ‘filling up’, which can introduce stress into your breathing.
If you had a container you wanted to fill as much as possible you’d make sure it was empty before you started. So, when you’re breathing, it’s better to focus on emptying your lungs of as much stale air as possible. Do this by pulling your abdominal muscles gently back towards your spine as you breathe out. That will automatically produce a bigger in-breath as your lungs re-inflate.
You can never expel all the air from your lungs, though. This can be useful: even when you think you’ve run out of breath before the end of the phrase you’re singing you’ll still have some left. Give it a try by breathing out as much as you possibly can and then singing something. You should find you can still make some sound, however unusual!
Here’s a short routine to help you relax before practising in your quiet space. Focusing on the breath is a great way to clear your head of all the concerns of the day, so you can be fully present with what you’re doing.
You can adapt this routine to use whenever you feel either stressed or lethargic – or both. It’s particularly good when preparing for the day, or unwinding for the evening. But you could equally well do it sitting in the car at traffic lights or waiting for the kettle to boil.
E.G. White was convinced that the out-breath is more important than the in-breath – and the teachings of yoga agree with him.
It’s good for your general health and well-being to take in plenty of air – and therefore oxygen – with every breath. However, it’s best not to concentrate on the idea of ‘filling up’, which can introduce stress into your breathing.
If you had a container you wanted to fill as much as possible you’d make sure it was empty before you started. So, when you’re breathing, it’s better to focus on emptying your lungs of as much stale air as possible. Do this by pulling your abdominal muscles gently back towards your spine as you breathe out. That will automatically produce a bigger in-breath as your lungs re-inflate.
You can never expel all the air from your lungs, though. This can be useful: even when you think you’ve run out of breath before the end of the phrase you’re singing you’ll still have some left. Give it a try by breathing out as much as you possibly can and then singing something. You should find you can still make some sound, however unusual!
