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rebus_minus
Registered: 05/15/09
Posts: 667
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Re: meditative techniques? [Re: g00ru]
#11474154 - 11/17/09 02:11 PM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
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I have read a few books on the breath and here it seems like the "experts" disagree.
I would always follow what feels more natural and stick with it. This means to stay with what works and listen to the body.
Maybe what feels natural will gradually change if you take some time to experiment to find natural ways of breathing which can include larger parts of the lungs though.
Ideally you'd want the breath to start sinking in below the navel and rise upwards from there which will give you control whether you want to take a full circle breath expanding through the stomach, then rib cage and up through your whole chest or whether you'd just want to let it flow gently by itself and maybe steer its cycles by subtle shifts of intent. We steer the breath subconsciously or consciously most of the time, so might as well meddle a little bit if it helps.
Breathing in the chest will only use the upper part of the lungs and it will pull the diaphragm upwards which makes the bottom parts of the lungs almost inaccessible. This bottom part is where gravity gathers most of the blood that is there to pick up & carry the oxygen, so this is the reason why it is much more efficient to expand the belly on the inhalation, which pulls the lungs downwards.
You see what lungs do is to expand through available vacuum.
But as I said, I am certain this is not essential although it will give more energy and balance in my experience.
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c0sm0nautt

Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 10,303
Loc: The Astral Realm
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Also try and focus on either breathing with the belly or breathing itself. If you try and do both, I've noticed a conflict of communication emerges and you'll get the 'unnatural' feeling. Either one should happen by itself when you focus on the other.
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g00ru
lit pants tit licker



Registered: 08/09/07
Posts: 21,088
Loc: georgia, us
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Re: meditative techniques? [Re: c0sm0nautt]
#11475027 - 11/17/09 04:41 PM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
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Thanks for the advice. I'll experiment with different ways. Every time I meditate I feel great though, so I must be doing something right.
-------------------- check out my music! drowse in prison and your waking will be but loss
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c0sm0nautt

Registered: 05/19/08
Posts: 10,303
Loc: The Astral Realm
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Re: meditative techniques? [Re: g00ru]
#11475095 - 11/17/09 04:51 PM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
guruu said: Thanks for the advice. I'll experiment with different ways. Every time I meditate I feel great though, so I must be doing something right.
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yogabunny
fancy cat



Registered: 11/01/09
Posts: 11,281
Loc: Nasty Women Get Shit Done
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Re: meditative techniques? [Re: g00ru]
#11478221 - 11/18/09 12:10 PM (14 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
guruu said: As long as this thread is up, I've had a question running through my mind for a while.
I've always read that in meditation you should let the abdomen expand and fill with air. So your belly should be getting bigger basically. But when I meditate that doesn't feel natural at all, it feels much better for my upper chest to expand the most. So is there a right or wrong way or should I just keep doing what feels most natural?
there's no right or wrong way. i've attended a buddhist meditation group (insight meditation it's called) where they ask you to focus on your belly rising and falling.
literally you repeat that to yourself in your head "belly rise, belly fall" and also try to make note of when your mind wanders, what it thinks about, but always trying to bring your attention back to "belly rise, belly fall"
i am a chest breather too so this was frustrating to me. i started just noticing my breath instead. "breathing in, breathing out" this is a zen technique.
so, in short all it means is you're a chest breather and not a belly breather. there's no right or wrong, just do what is natural for you.
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rebus_minus
Registered: 05/15/09
Posts: 667
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Re: meditative techniques? [Re: yogabunny]
#11480500 - 11/18/09 06:04 PM (14 years, 2 months ago) |
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it might not be so set in stone. i used to be a chest breather then i changed it in 2003. it did feel unnatural sometimes but i still believe it has done me much good now that the pattern is reset.
but i agree that is not in any way vital.
maybe it would even clutter up guruu's meditation to change now.
whatever floats your boat.
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