Your Best Breaths for Pain Control
Foursquare breathing
In this exercise, you make a kind of square with your breath. Inhale for a count of four, hold for a count of four, exhale for hour, and hold again for hour. Repeat this for a total of ten full breath cycles.
The purifying breath
Imagine that your body is surrounded by a white light. As you inhale, imagine that you’re drawing that pure light down into your lungs and throughout the rest of your body – see your bones, muscles, fingers, toes, neck, and head all flowing with the whiteness. As you exhale, visualize that something darker or impure is being expelled from your body, perhaps your pain or sorrow or anger.
Zen breathing for insomnia
As you’re lying in bed, give one count to each inhalation and one count to each exhalation. When you reach ten, start again at one. Don’t keep track of how many series of ten you’ve done; simply use the numbers as a means of focus rather than as a means of marking time. This technique will often send seasoned insomniacs off to sleep. And even if you can’t get to sleep, you’ll feel much more relaxed and rested than if you spent the night sweating over ever-higher sheep counts.
The flare-control breath
This technique is specifically for controlling flare-ups. It is harder to do on the fly; instead, find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed for a few moments. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position and take several deep breaths. Notice the breath filling your lungs; it is bringing you vitality. Then imagine that your breath is flowing to the area of your pain. Feel the breath opening up that area and expanding into the area completely. Tell yourself that you’re bringing the renewing cycle of breath to your pain, that you’re bringing energy, light, and strength to this part of your body. As you exhale, imagine the breath flowing out from the pain. Breathe it out of your body; release it; let it go. Repeat for several cycles.
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This page was first published on May, 15th, 2008 and was last updated on May, 15th, 2008