When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath. Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika
I did it. I finished a 100 day gong. Awhile back I talked about starting a breathing meditation as a ten day gong and that if I made it till then I’d continue for thirty days until I reached one hundred.
Ta da! Like anything you do deliberately, the first ten days were the hardest. After that I wanted to take the time for my breathing. Sometimes I did it in the mornings and other times I waited until just before bed. I had a few mini meditations where I just hadn’t saved the time so I only spent about seven minutes running through my routine.
There are supposed to be great health benefits from this exercise. I expected to feel something but I didn’t. That’s not to say I don’t feel good because I do. I just thought I might have some great sensation to make me know for a fact that I am receiving some benefit from this activity. As it is I will continue with this. I might even attend a week long retreat with Jane Jin. I somehow feel like this is great medicine even though as I said, I haven’t felt anything unusual. Maybe because my mom died of breathing complications due to lung cancer I feel like this may keep me from that end. At any rate, click here to get started if you have an interest.
