Increase your capacity!

Would you like to increase your capacity to be more present? Then let’s experiment with increasing your capacity to breathe slower and more deeply.

What is the length of your average (resting) inhalation? Don’t know? Count it now. Inhale…and exhale. Was it 3 seconds? 5 seconds?

Whatever it was, you have the capacity to expand it by 30-40% or more immediately! How? Set the intention to inhale more deeply on your next inhalation.

Inhale through your nose and down into your belly. Keep going. Keep inhaling for a count of 5 or 6 seconds until the breath rises up into the chest and collar bones.

Hold it for 3 seconds. Relax. Now slowly exhale out the open mouth.

It requires concentration and inner strength to take deeper inhalations. You really do have to focus like you’re blowing up a balloon, because you actually are! This balloon is just inside your low belly.

There is an inner stretchiness to play with as the diaphragm expands and pushes out the abdominal muscles and ribcage. A sense of determination is needed to increase your capacity, almost like that of a professional athlete or perhaps a singer or horn player.

Practice this daily and over time and you will strengthen your respiratory muscles and develop the ability to pay attention to anything while also staying relaxed.

Wouldn’t that be nice!

Lastly and most importantly you will eventually double the amount of oxygen you are bringing into your body on a regular basis. As you practice deepening your inhalations you will experience a greater capacity to be present.

Conscious breathing repeatedly gathers your awareness and attention back into the body where it is said that the present moment resides.

You can be available to your central nervous system, your ears and eyes, your heart and lungs.

You will have more meaningful conversations. Others will notice that you can effortlessly listen to them and respond with more compassion and curiosity.

You will experience more clarity in your life and have a stronger ability to speak your truth because your core fundamental needs are being met: increased oxygen, more relaxation, deeper presence.

Enjoy! And if this helps you at all, let me know. If you have questions or want to practice breathing with me, also let me know.

In breath we trust,

Jack