The Vital Body: The Breath

Sit comfortably with your back straight.  Close you eyes.  Imagine your vital body, the body of life-force energy emanating from your physical body.  Imagine how you look sitting where you are and how your vital body looks as it holds and encompasses your physical body.  Imagine you can see life-force energy flowing in and out of you through your nose, your mouth, and your skin.  Imagine it swirling and dancing around you.

Now, visualize your physical body.  Imagine how good it would feel if it were even more intensely suffused with life-force energy.  You can fill yourself with this beautiful and vibrant energy simply by breathing.

Slowly inhale through your nose to a count of five.  Imagine the life-force energy flowing into you as you inhale, filling you r legs, your body, your arms, and your head, and gathering up all the stagnant energy that’s been lingering in the corners and crevices of your physical body for too long.  Now, to a count of 10, exhale even more slowly through your mouth with pursed lips.  Let your exhale make a whispering sound and imagine you are shooting out all the stagnant energy that is now transformed, releasing for the benefit of others.  Breathe in again in the same manner to a count of 10, and exhale in the same manner to a count of 20.  once more, inhale to the count of 20, and exhale to the count of 40.***

Now, let your breathing return to normal again and feel the life-force energy swirling and dancing inside you, healing and freeing the systems of your body and filing your being with joy

***Please note – if you cannot hold the breath counts for these lengths of time don’t worry, you do what you can.  I don’t want to find out people are passing out because they think they HAVE to do it “this” way – Athena.

~ Taken from, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Meditation” By Joan Budilovsky and Eve  Adamson