What I've learned today

Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique

Most of the people are known to breathe through their chest. Shallow breathing through the chest means you are disrupting the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide necessary to be in a relaxed state.   The correct breathing technique is called Diaphragmatic Breathing (stomach breathing). We automatically breath this way when we are born. Diaphragmatic breathing uses the diaphragm muscle (a strong dome shaped muscle) located under our ribs and above our stomach. When we breath in, we push the muscle down, and our tummy moves forward. When we breath out, the diaphragmatic muscle moves back to resting position and our tummy moves back in. There is little or no upper chest movement.   As we grow older many of us change our pattern of breathing and start breathing through our chest. This can be the result of a number of factors such as the pressure to have a flat tummy, certain fashions, poor posture, and of course anxiety.   

Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise  

How to do it:  

• You can either stand or lie down
• Stand with your feet fairly close together
• Relax and free your mind from all thoughts (easier said than done but don't worry about it!)
• Rub your hands together briskly and then place one palm about 2 fingers below your navel. Place the other palm on top of the first one.
• Open your mouth slightly
• Press gently and smoothly inward on your abdomen with your palms. Breath out during a count to six.
• Hold for a count of two
• Release smoothly and breath in under a count to six.
• Hold for a count of two. (This whole process of pressing, holding, releasing, holding is called a breathing unit)
• Repeat this whole process until you have done ten whole breathing units.

 

• When you are done drop your arms and wait for a few seconds (or as long as it feels right for you).
• When ready rub your hands together and "wash" your face and head with them. Open your eyes and walk a few steps.

 Here are a few tips for you: To do this correctly you breath out on pressing and breath in on releasing. In the beginning try and forget about the breathing it usually takes care of itself. Concentrate on the pressing and releasing. Practice once in the morning and once in the evening for a couple of weeks and see how you feel! As you go along you can add more units to your exercise. If you feel stressed, upset or tired this is a very good and quick exercise to revitalize yourself. There is a second and third stage of this exercise where you visualize bad energy leaving you when pressing and good energy entering when releasing. I will try and write something about this later. 

"Practice is the mother of all skills"    

Maximas

• Life is short,
• Break the rules,
• Forgive quickly,
• Kiss slowly,
• Love truly,
• Laugh uncontrollably,
• And never regret anything that made you smile.

Enseñanzas de vida

• No pierdas tu control en ningún momento, respira.
  
• Di siempre la verdad
• Haz una sola cosa a la vez.
• Gasta menos de lo que ganas.
• Eres tal como respiras.
• Miara a los ojos a las personas.
  
• No aplaces las cosas. Haz lo que sea preciso en el momento preciso.
• Aprende a decir "no" con cortesía y presteza.
• No temas decir "no se" y "lo siento".

• Aprende a escuchar, es un arte.
• Disfruta del descanso!
  
• Medita treinta minutos todos los días.
  
• Reconoce tus errores.
  
• Conserva tus amigos.

• No creas todo lo que oyes.
• Descubre placer en lo elemental: comer, respirar, caminar, saborear, tocar, ver, dormir...
• Desecha el odio y el rencor, te hacen más daño a ti
• No tomes decisiones cuando estés sintiendo una emoción fuerte
• No pagues un trabajo hasta que este concluido
• No dudes en perder una batalla, si esto te lleva a ganar la guerra.Di "Gracias" y "Por favor" con frecuencia.
• Se compasivo.
• No digas todo lo que piensas.
• Contempla el amanecer.
• Disfruta la belleza.
  
  - Aprende a guardar secretos
  - No prives a nadie de la esperanza; puede ser lo único que posea.
  - Cuídate de quien no tenga nada que perder.
  - En vez de criticar, elogia a las personas.
  - Hay cosas que no regresan: la palabra dicha, el tiempo transcurrido y las oportunidades.

"This Silence" a poem by Rumi the Persian poet and philosopher

About Rumi

This Silence

"This silence, this moment, every moment, if it's genuinely inside you,
brings what you need.
There's nothing to believe.
Only when I stopped believing in myself did I come into this beauty.
Sit quietly, and listen for a voice that will say, 'Be more silent.'
Die and be quiet. Quietness is the surest sign that you've died.
Your old life was a frantic running from silence.
Move outside the tangle of fear-thinking. Live in silence."

Spiritual growth is about...

Spiritual growth is not about getting something, is about letting go.