Hello
The breathing method of Joshin Koku ho is paramount in our Reiki Practice, to breathe correctly and deeply into our Hara, and breathing out throughout our body and being, we are in fact stilling our minds, letting go of anxiety and stress. There are many people who interpret the breathing in a different way. I was listening to a debate on radio 4 this morning about the way we breathe, one person said that breathing deeply into our bodies and abdomen (she didn’t say Hara) is liberating and healing, the other person said that we all have different ways of breathing. He was meaning that at certain times our breath changes naturally whether it’s anxiety, panic attacks and so on, and he believed that this is how we react to adrenaline, dizzy attacks, etc.
In my humble opinion breathing deeply relieves all those unwanted negative things before they take place, which is how it should be. We could also say that practicing deep breathing also helps, nature and the planet for a few precious moments, as resting in the space we have created we are releasing our festering thoughts and relaxing, letting go of chaos. Breathing deeply we are breathing in our shining light and with practice the light grows and expands into infinity.
Breathing in this way also brings clarity to our every day life, understanding our true nature is paramount, being clear essential. That way we can really understand the Reiki Precepts guiding us and instructing us in our daily life, helping us with our Reiki Practice, helping us to feel grounded and centred. So if you can use Joshin Kokyu Ho often, if you find it difficult keep practicing and all will become clear, personal practice supports us and the whole world.
Meditating is also a great way to help our wellbeing, breathing deeply and letting go, creating that wonderful space of nothing and feeling empty is profound and liberating, being free and freeing our cells and tension in our bodies is timeless and exhilarating.
So in conclusion the way we breathe is essential for our wellbeing, we can listen to the radio and debates, but at the end of the day it is how we feel, making comparisons is not in the system of Reiki, being true to our nature is what counts.
I genuinely love this. I have said in previous meetings with you that there is not a form of therapy that does not include deep breathing. If Joshin Koku Ho doesn’t come naturally it will with practice, and concentration on breathing is not a bad thing because that concentration will break whatever cycle is building. It is impossible to “stand tall and smell the morning breeze” without opening your chest breathing deeper and releasing tension. Same goes for lunchtime breeze, coffee time breeze and evening breeze.
Yes, biologically the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are programmed with certain reactions; fight, flight, flop, freeze but modern triggers rarely actually require them. It would be fairly obvious if one were required. Therefore creating the mind space with a calming breath is beneficial by any measure one chooses to use.
The precepts are good if you have time, I often use a paraphrasing of Thich Nhat Hanh’s wonderful words, “Breathe in calm, breathe out smile, breathe in wonderful moment, breathe out perfect moment.”
Even a single breath taken for yourself in a moment of tension works wonders butwhen you create time to breathe with no effort, no markers and luxuriate in the connection to everything I would suggest it is the kindest thing a person can do for themselves.
Thank you for the reminder, namaste dear Jenny.
thank you lovely Alec.