2:1 Breath Practice. Perfect for calming and preparing for meditation:
Sit comfortably with your head, neck, and trunk aligned. Relax your body and begin to focus on your breath as it passes through the nostrils. Tune in to the cool touch of the inhalation and the warm touch of the exhalation. After a few breaths, place one hand on your abdomen and one on your chest, and check to see if your chest is moving. If it is, relax the rib cage and focus on breathing solely with your abdomen for several minutes.
Once you are breathing calmly, begin to mentally count the duration of inhalation and exhalation, letting them be approximately equal in length. The average person is comfortable with a 6-count breath—the in-breath and the out-breath last for 3 counts each.
Continue to let your breath flow quietly and smoothly through the nostrils. Enjoy the tranquility created by this practice of breath awareness, and allow your mind to settle into the counting experience.
When you are ready, begin to deepen your exhalation by contracting the abdominal muscles, pushing additional air out of the lungs. On your next inhalation, slowly and smoothly release the contracted muscles, letting the next inhalation be a little shorter than the last. Gradually adjust your breathing to achieve a 2-to-1 ratio, exhaling for 4 counts and inhaling for 2.
It is important to be mindful of your capacity in this exercise. If you extend your exhalation farther than your capacity allows, your body will go into survival mode and reflexively gasp on the next inhalation. You’ll need to shorten your next breath slightly in order to compensate. One way to prevent yourself from overdoing here is to focus on creating a smooth transition between your in-breath and your out-breath, and back off a bit if you feel any urge to gasp for air.
When practiced correctly, 2-to-1 breathing eliminates volatile wastes from the lungs while calming and nurturing the nervous system. It’s also an effective way to prepare the body, breath, and mind for meditation. Do this practice for as long as it is comfortable—beginning, perhaps, with five minutes a day.
Once you are breathing calmly, begin to mentally count the duration of inhalation and exhalation, letting them be approximately equal in length. The average person is comfortable with a 6-count breath—the in-breath and the out-breath last for 3 counts each.
Continue to let your breath flow quietly and smoothly through the nostrils. Enjoy the tranquility created by this practice of breath awareness, and allow your mind to settle into the counting experience.
When you are ready, begin to deepen your exhalation by contracting the abdominal muscles, pushing additional air out of the lungs. On your next inhalation, slowly and smoothly release the contracted muscles, letting the next inhalation be a little shorter than the last. Gradually adjust your breathing to achieve a 2-to-1 ratio, exhaling for 4 counts and inhaling for 2.
It is important to be mindful of your capacity in this exercise. If you extend your exhalation farther than your capacity allows, your body will go into survival mode and reflexively gasp on the next inhalation. You’ll need to shorten your next breath slightly in order to compensate. One way to prevent yourself from overdoing here is to focus on creating a smooth transition between your in-breath and your out-breath, and back off a bit if you feel any urge to gasp for air.
When practiced correctly, 2-to-1 breathing eliminates volatile wastes from the lungs while calming and nurturing the nervous system. It’s also an effective way to prepare the body, breath, and mind for meditation. Do this practice for as long as it is comfortable—beginning, perhaps, with five minutes a day.