Cooling breath - sitali pranayam

  

With the summer’s heat it can be hard to relax and calm down with all of life’s pressures.  A powerful meditation with the use of breath can not only calm us but cool our bodies as well.

In the early days when I studied Iyengar yoga, the secrets of breathing meditations— pranayamas were very rarely taught.  The secrets were revealed after many years of study with a master guru or teacher.  Today simple and safe breathing exercises like sitali pranayam are available to all.  

Try the following technique to calm, relax and cool yourself.  It also is known to release pent up anger, and aids in overcoming addiction.  For example practice when the urge comes to smoke or overeat.  

Sitali pranayam - cooling breath  

Sit comfortably cross legged on a cushion so that the spine is straight and the knees are lower than the hips.  Your eyes are closed and you keep your head level.

Open your mouth and form an "O" shape with the lips.

Curl your tongue gently as displayed in photo.

Inhale through your curled tongue  - bring the coolness deep into the belly

Exhale slowly and fully through the nostrils.

Do the breathing slowly and calmly, so that the passage of air through the tongue and nostrils makes no noise. The tongue can be pulled back into the mouth and the lips closed after each inhalation.

Repeat for 1-2 minutes if you are a beginner, then work up to 5 minutes daily.  If at any time you feel uncomfortable, dizzy, or anxious stop the technique. 

Sitali Pranayam is cooling, and benefits the kidneys and adrenals, helps with digestion, and cleanses the spleen and liver.

Writing a novel

Contemplating being a novelist? Having read so many good books, you are thinking that you could write an outstanding novel.  You want to tell your story.  Be heard.

A novelist tells a story, a story that is so good, reality seems suspended. The readers believe you are telling the truth.  And you are, you are telling the truth of your heart.

Stories have been told and retold for centuries. Books immortalize the author's stories.  They inspire us, make us think, entertain us.  My favorite stories are those in which the characters go on a journey.  They start reluctant to change, and then transform throughout the story.  Your readers can't wait to turn the pages, find out what is next for your characters. 

A good story reflects your voice, the voice you hear deep inside of you, the words that are screaming to get out.  A writer writes, it is a passion.  It overtakes you, takes your breath away.  You can only write, and have to hurry to get to the paper, or the computer. 

Sure, writer's blocks happen.  Then you stop for a while.  Relax, do other things.  I paint when I get blocked.  No, I am not a painter, by any means, but it slows down the thoughts, and gets me back on track.  Meditation, music, dance, cooking are other ways to free the mind, our thoughts.  We have to be careful to not be duplicitous, betray ourselves with our mind.  

There is only one true voice, and once you free it up, the writing flows and flows.  You simply have to get out of the way- you become the writer and the writing, a kind of disappearing act.  You dissolve into the work.  

Writing your story

Igniting the writing process begins with daily meditation and mindfulness.  You can unlock your story through a practice of quiet contemplation. 

Writing is much more than plot, theme, and an outline you follow with excruciating precision.  Writing is about expression, the expression of your inner voice.  That is the work- developing your voice.  You learn to be free, vulnerable, and open to creating.  

We all have a story that we want to tell, that needs to be told.  Whether it is for our children, grandparents, friends, or a yet unknown audience, our voice needs to be heard.  The question then becomes:  how do we get our thoughts down on paper? 

Try this simple exercise before you meditate:

1. Think about who you are.  Ask yourself:  Who am I?  What is my role in life? 
2. Explore further than the expected/accepted roles of being a mother/father, spouse, worker, American, etc.  What gives me joy?  Sadness?  Fear?  Happiness?
3. Honor the thoughts that surface, rather than place judgement on them.

Sitting silently being mindful brings you into the present moment.  And in the present moment lies the truth about yourself. Readers love a story that is compelling, coming from truth and inner knowledge whether you are writing a novel, memoir, or non-fiction.  

Now go get started on that manuscript!

The simple act of breathing is a technique that helps you in your life, to achieve balance and harmony.  It freshens your mind, and gives you crystal clarity.

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One conscious breath a day can be life changing.  One conscious breath brings you into the moment.  One conscious breath brings you into your heart.

A daily practice of remembering to take one deep breath is powerful.  When you get up in the morning, before you even get out of bed, see if you can remember to take a conscious, deep breath - slowly inhale through the nose, pause, then exhale through either the nose or mouth.  As a beginning yogi or meditator, you may need to start by exhaling through the mouth.  Then as you get more practice, it will be easier to both fill and empty the lungs through nose breathing.  

As your day continues, when you remember, take another deep breath.  Say to yourself:  I am taking a conscious breath.  Feel how the oxygen fills your lungs, and distributes it to the cells in your body.  Notice how you feel.

The act of breathing is simple, yet by being able to focus in the present moment you learn how to access your inner voice, which will help you understand who you are, and live a life you choose by following the true path meant for you - the path of your heart.