BREATH & BELIEFS

In the midst of our fast-paced lives, filled with constant distractions and responsibilities, it's crucial to prioritize personal development and spiritual growth. Two basic bust fundamentally important aspects to work with are addressed in this article.

BREATH

I don’t think I have to tell you how important breath is. If you’re reading this, you’re breathing. If you were not breathing you wouldn’t be alive.

The eastern traditions have always paid special attention to the power of breath. I became aware of this when I was a teenager back in the 80’s. Pranayama is what it’s commonly called. In the west, however, we haven’t really paid too much attention to our breath until recently.

The transformative potential of breath as a personal development and spiritual practice is truly remarkable. It’s a simple tool that helps establish a balance in life. It’s portable, free, and powerful.

Our breath is more than just inhaling and exhaling air. It is the essence of life itself, the vital force that animates us. I like to use a technological metaphor when thinking about the breath: it’s our Wi-Fi connection to the Universe.?

Each breath is a wave of existence, carrying within it the energy and life force we need, not only to be alive, but to thrive.

In a previous article I wrote about the most fundamental ingredient in personal development: the cultivation of self-awareness. In that context, conscious breathing serves as a gateway to self-awareness and mindfulness. By focusing on our breath, we bring ourselves into the present moment, heightening our awareness. The simple act of paying attention to our breath can help manage stress. Breath has the ability to regulate our nervous system and promote a sense of calm when we need it or a sense of urgency when that is required.

Our breath has a profound impact on our emotional well-being. By consciously engaging with our breath, we can regulate our emotions through the secretion of powerful brain and body chemicals. Many millions of people have experienced transformative shifts in their emotional state through dedicated breathwork practices. Science has caught up to the idea that the way we breathe has an enormous impact on our health and our state of being and there are multiple studies available that show empirical evidence of this. It turns out the ancient traditions were correct: our breath changes everything! It reorganises and shifts us at all levels, chemically (in the brain and body), it affects our physical health, our mental and emotional state of being.

It’s super powerful.

By practicing conscious and deep breathing, we can enhance our immune function, and improve our sleep quality. The connection between breath, relaxation, and overall physical health is truly remarkable.

There are many breathwork techniques that we can incorporate into our daily practice. Deep breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, and alternate nostril breathing are just a few examples. I'll share some techniques below. Exploring these techniques and finding what resonates with us can be a powerful step in our personal development and spiritual growth journey.

Here are 5 simple and practical breathing techniques you can experiment with every day (plus one very powerful bonus technique at the end):

1 Deep Breathing: Very simple. Take a few moments during the course of each day to engage in deep breathing. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose, allowing your abdomen to expand, and then exhale slowly through your mouth. Focus on the sensation of your breath entering and leaving your body, promoting relaxation and grounding. If you like, you can incorporate some sound too – on your in-breath, pucker your lips and draw the air through your teeth, on the outbreath make a sighing sound. This helps create calmness and relaxation.

2 The physiological sigh: This is a technique suggested by Dr Andrew Huberman. Take a deep breath in through your?nose or mouth (as fully as you can) then take a second top up breath that extends your lungs. Hold for a second or two and exhale slowly and fully. Doing this two or three times has a remarkable effect of calming you down. This is an excellent technique to use if you are feeling anxious.

3 Box Breathing: Practice box breathing to enhance focus and concentration. Inhale for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, exhale for a count of four, and hold your breath again for a count of four. Repeat this cycle several times, maintaining a comfortable rhythm. US Navy Seals have been known to use this technique to manage stress.

4 Alternate Nostril Breathing: Sit comfortably and use your right thumb to close your right nostril. Inhale deeply through your left nostril, then use your ring finger to close your left nostril and exhale through your right nostril. If you like, you can extend the time that you breathe in, hold, and breathe out. There is no need to force the breath though, always be comfortable. This practice balances the energy in your body and calms the mind. I was taught this by one of my teachers who used it to energise himself, calm himself down, and even as a precursor to sitting meditation.

5 Breath Awareness Meditation: Find a quiet space and sit comfortably. Close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath. Notice the sensation of the breath entering and leaving your body, without trying to control or change it. Simply observe the natural rhythm of your breath, allowing thoughts to come and go without attachment. Allow your breath to become slower and deeper over time.

BONUS TECHIQUE:?Wim Hof Breathing Technique: I use this every day as a re-set and to begin my day. It’s super simple and super powerful ! Lie down in a place where you won’t be disturbed for about half an hour. Take 30 to 40 deep breaths (without force, but as deep as you can). Find a breathing rhythm that you’re comfortable with (slow, medium, or fast). After 30 -40 breaths, exhale and hold your breath. Time yourself. Hold it for 1 minute. After the hold, take a deep in breath and hold for 15 seconds. Squeeze the air into your head if you can. Exhale fully and notice the sensations in your body. Do 3 to 5 rounds. Extend the breath hold on the exhalation to one and a half, then two or more minutes (don’t force). This technique creates some very powerful results. For a more expansive explanation please check out the Wim Hof Method , here’s a link to his website. It's well worth your time ! https://www.wimhofmethod.com/

Do any one of these breathing exercises for a few minutes each day and increase the time as you become more accustomed to the practice. Extending your period of time helps create a stronger concentration in the mind.

Explore different techniques and find the ones that you’re most comfortable with. Enjoy the practice, it shouldn’t be a chore, it should be a treat for your body, mind and spirit. The power of breathwork is a simple and powerful tool on your journey of developing Awareness and will aid you in self-discovery and personal growth.

BELIEFS

Beliefs shape our perception of the world, influence our thoughts and actions, and play a significant role in personal development and spiritual growth. They are the software of the mind and, as such, they are the lens through which we experience the world.

In order to do any kind of deep personal work it’s important to?understand the transformative potential of beliefs and how they impact our lives.

We may think that our beliefs are absolute truths, but this is not so. Unfortunately, most people live life from an unconscious place and this creates a lot of problems, both on a personal and on a collective level. The process of becoming a more enlightened human being begins with allowing yourself to examine your beliefs and not to hold onto them as concrete facts. So much conflict arises from people condemning other people for their beliefs. Inner conflict also arises when we ourselves are in conflict with the unconscious beliefs contained with?our subconscious mind. These are often not our beliefs but have been inherited cross generationally from our ancestors. A major part of the journey of self discovery begins by recognising patterns in our life that point to our unconscious beliefs; especially those that are not serving us.

Beliefs, whether conscious or unconscious, act as programs that drive our thoughts, actions, and behaviour. They have a profound influence on how we perceive and experience life. It's important to recognize the impact of negative and destructive beliefs, as they hinder our well-being. They cause distress for us and for others.

Self-awareness is the key to understanding beliefs. By engaging in self-inquiry and questioning, we can delve deeper into who we truly are beyond our conditioned beliefs, personality, and ego.

Cultivating awareness allows us to recognize the beliefs that shape our lives and choose whether they serve us or not. This is why Awareness is a fundamentally important practice and a foundation on which we base our personal development work.

External influences, such as media and societal norms, play a significant role in shaping our beliefs, especially in the modern technological world where many of us spend hours with our electronic devices. It is crucial to develop discernment and to critically evaluate the beliefs we adopt from these sources.

Technology, in and of itself, is not the enemy, it can be a valuable tool, but it’s crucial to exercise mindfulness when using such a powerful technology that influences us on every level of our being: conscious, emotional, subconscious, and even physically.

Our beliefs are the filters through which we view so called "reality". By cultivating self-awareness, we can navigate the influence of external and internal forces and ensure that our beliefs align with our values and our authentic selves and with what we wish to experience in life.

Various practices can help us identify and, if necessary, change our beliefs:

Self-Observation, meditation, journaling, mindfulness, and dream interpretation are just a few tools for self-discovery and transformation. There are many more.

Repetition is a fundamental ingredient in changing beliefs. They were imprinted in us through repetition and it requires repetition to change them. As we challenge and reshape our beliefs, we open the door to personal growth and spiritual development.

It is essential to identify self-sabotaging beliefs that contribute to recurring patterns and areas of failure in our lives. Exploring our "shadows," (a Jungian term for the unconscious aspects that influence us) can bring these beliefs to light.

This allows us to consciously choose empowering beliefs that align with our values and aspirations; we create a solid foundation for personal development.

One of the most effective systems that I have come across is the Mind Power system developed by John Kehoe. It’s a simple yet deep system that helps gives practical tools to work with the conscious and subconscious mind, to identify beliefs, and to work with our inner world. Heres a link to his website: https://www.learnmindpower.com/

Beliefs are powerful forces that shape our perception, thoughts, and behaviours. Any type of personal work that is valuable will embark on a journey into the inner world of thoughts and the collection of thoughts that form our belief system.

? Steve Tsakiris

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