Ep 18: Breath Work and Guided Meditation
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Perfectionist in Recovery
Breath Work and Guided Meditation
Hello and welcome back to the Perfectionist in Recovery Podcast. My name is Marcy Parks, and I am a Perfectionist in Recovery.
In this episode I am sharing a breathing exercise and guided meditation to help in discharging stress from your body and engaging your relaxation response. The breathing exercise I am sharing is from the yogic tradition and is called the Viloma Pranayama.
As I said, the Viloma Pranayama practice comes from the yogic tradition. It is a great breathing practice for beginners and is a gentle way to expand the length of your breath and lung capacity.
The name “Viloma” comes from Sanskrit. “Vi” meaning “agianst” and “loma” meaning “hair”, the name “Viloma” translates to “against the natural flow”. The reason it is called “against the natural flow, is because it is an interrupted breathing technique where you pause briefly during your breath.
There are three variations to practice this breathing technique:
Interrupted Inhale
Interrupted Exhale
Interrupted Inhale and Exhale
For this practice, we are practicing it by interrupting the inhale three times, then using a slow, steady exhale. It may take a few rounds to get comfortable with the breathing practice, but do not strain or over-exert yourself in this practice. Try to avoid “gasping” for breath, focusing on keeping your breath steady and soft.
To practice the Viloma Pranayama, find a comfortable position. For this practice you can sit upright on the floor supported by pillows or blankets, in a chair with your back away from the chair and feet flat on the floor, or you can choose to set yourself up in a supported position lying comfortably on the floor.
Once you establish a comfortable and steady breath, begin to imagine or visualize that your lungs are divided into three parts - upper, middle, and lower.
On your next in-breath, breathe in slowly filling up just the lower part of your lungs, then pause. Breathe into the middle part of your lungs, pause. Breathe into the upper part of your lungs, pausing at the top of the breath, then slowly and smoothly exhale all of the air out of your lungs.
Continue breathing in this way, pausing three times on the inhale and slowly exhaling out.
As you breathe, try to feel the way your body moves with your breath and feeling the way the air fills your lungs.
Continue this practice for several minutes and feel free to practice as frequently throughout the week!
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